The Apprentice
by ElementalGuardianProtector
Summary: Who exactly is Chase's new apprentice and what kind of relationship do they share? What unknown bond ties her and Raimundo together? What strains does this mysterious girl put on the Xiaolin Monks' friendships? And what will happen to Raimundo and Kimiko?
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Hey Xiaolin Showdown World! Wow, it's been two years since I updated this fic, and let me tell ya, it sucks ass. So I'm here to revise my amateur writing - starting with these ridiculously long author notes! (sorry all who might have liked them, but they were annoying and unnecessary)**

**Raimundo: 'Bout time you came back to fix this story!**

**Me: Yeah, f'real. It needs major work done on it. I'm surprised it got this much praise, haha. Also, I'm not sure how old the monks actually are, so their ages here are only relevent to this story. Sorry if they're wrong.**

**Raimundo: Best two out of three? (Oh, and everybody, EGP is sorry, but she uses Wordpad because she doesn't have Microsoft, which means no spellchecker, so excuse the grammar errors! Story's under construction!)**

**Me: (nod) Best two out of three. I do not own Xiaolin Showdown, but I do own this story and a special character that you will soon meet. Enjoy the story!**

Chapter One Revised

"Oh, Jack. It seems as though you never seem to learn. I mean really, how long have we been at this? A year? Two?" Fifteen year old Kimiko Tohomiko sighed. "Yeah, f'real, man. We'll kick your butt every time. You're no challenge." Sixteen year old Raimundo Pedrosa crossed his arms in agreement.

"You could at least give us more of a fight. This is seriously wasting our time... But I reckon since it's been so long, you need to get your butt handed to remind you who's in charge." Seventeen year old Clay Bailey fixed his ten gallon hat. "Agreed, my friends. Let us place Jack in his put!" Fifteen year old Omi poised himself to battle.

"...It's 'put him in his place', Chrome Dome." Raimundo sighed. "H-hey! Stop talking down to me like that! I'm not your inferior, and don't you forget it! Jack-bots, ATTACK!" Sixteen year old Jack Spicer screeched. Hundreds of Jack's "new and improved" Jack-bots began racing towards the Xiaolin Monks.

"Sword of the Sword, Wind!" Raimundo boomed, destroying most of the Jack-bots effortlessly. "Hey Rai, don't destroy them all! Leave some for us! Star Hanabi, Fire!" Kimiko shouted, destroying the remaining Jack-bots without breaking a single sweat.

"Hey! I wanted some butt-kickin' action too! I mean, this WAS a long trip here - I AT LEAST wanted to get to trash one of them doo-hickeys." Clay pouted. "Ooops, sorry Clay. I destroyed the last ones." Kimiko apologized in an "oh get over it" voice.

"Ha-! The Monarch Wings are mine!" Jack used his propeller backpack and flew towards the Monarch Wings. "Oh no you don't, Spicer! Third Arm Sash!" Clay yelled, causing the sash Shen Gong Wu shot out towards the new Shen Gong Wu.

"_This is way too easy…Where's Omi?"_ Raimundo pondered. "Watch out, Raimundo! Mantis Kick!" Omi bellowed. In order for Omi to destroy the Jack-bot heading for Raimundo, he had to cut in front of theThird Arm Sash.

The Third Arm Sash was thrown off course, which allowed Jack to snatch up Monarch Wings. Omi mantis kicked the Jack-bot that was heading for Raimundo and destroyed it before falling gracefully, and skillfully, to the ground. "Thanks, Omi." Raimundo thanked the big-headed monk.

"No problem, my friend. I have back your got." Omi replied. "…Uhhhh…I think he means, I've got your back." Kimiko translated. "That, too." Omi responded.

"Yes! Victory is ours!" Wuya exclaimed oh so happily. The one thousand-five hundred year old witch was not in the body of a ghost, oh no.

Now that she worked alongside of the mighty Chase Young, he was able to provide her with her original human-like witch body.

Wuya flipped her long crimson red hair. "Come on, Jack. We need to go." Wuya motioned for Jack.

"Why?" Jack demanded as he handed Wuya the Monarch Wings. "I'd rather stay here and rub my victory in their faces!" "Ugh, so that you can just get them to steal it back from you? And besides, Chase said he needed us back for something as soon as possible." Wuya answered impaitently as she snatched the Wu from Jack's hands.

"Monarch Wings!" Wuya used the Shen Gong Wu to fly off towards Chase Young's palace with a rainbow trailing behind it. "Hey! Wait up Wuya! See ya around, Xiaolin !" The "evil boy genius" immaturely stuck his tongue out at the Xiaolin Dragons as he used his propeller backpack and flew off after the witch.

"Damn that no good rascal Jack Spicer! And Wuya!" Clay muttered under his breath. "How could we lose to him... Has it really been that long since we've fought?... Argh, dammit...Well, there's no point in staying here... We might as well go back to the temple." "Good idea." Dojo Kanojo Cho nodded as he transformed into his large Chinese Dragon form.

The Xiaolin Apprentices sighed as they climbed into Dojo's back.

"We lost the battle... To Jack Spicer... Perhaps Master Fung was correct - Our last battle of saving the world from a thousand years of darkness has made us cocky, and a year of relaxation was not our best choice..." Omi admitted dismally.

"We're really going to have to get back into shape and kick things up a nock... We've been losing to Haylin a lot lately. It's like they're becoming stronger and stronger every day, with the the Scorpion King Chase Young on their side and all... Eventually, they will surpass us in power in Wu, if things keep going the way they are..." Clay sighed.

_"It really makes me wonder... How much have we missed this past year? I mean, Haylin had been pretty quiet, and we've had no sign of them until recently... That alone was suspicious, but it was like all of them disappeared without a trace... What exactly is Chase Young planning now?"_ Kimiko wondered as her and her comrades headed home.

**Change in POV**

"Hello, Chase." Wuya greeted the black and green haired Scorpion King as she walked into his palace. "Welcome, Wuya." Chase Young replied. One of Chase's cat dragged Jack into the palace. "Jack." Chase growled, narrowing his bronze eyes in contempt.

"Hi, Chase..." Jack squeaked. Chase rolled his eyes. "Nevermind. I have a new apprentice that I would like for the two of you to meet." Chase motioned for someone to come in.

A young teenage girl at the age of fifteen with smooth chocolate brown skin, long raven black hair, and empty yet beautiful white eyes entered the room. Her eyes were cold – as cold as ice.

No, even colder.

_"Whoa. Just look at that girl's eyes! There's something about her…Something inhumane…"_ Wuya began to think. _"Her eyes…They're so emotionless and cold. Lifeless. And somewhat sad… They send a chill down even my spine..."_

"Chase…You did something to this girl, didn't you?" Wuya gasped. But then, slowly, Wuya's gasp turned into a wicked smirk. "That's so evil of you... And I like it, heheheee..."

"_She's so pretty…Cute…Adorable…Beautiful even… Who is she?..."_ Jack was lost in a love trance. **(Love at first sight…How cute. But sorry Jack, she's not your type!)**

"You are correct, Wuya, I have done something to this girl. When I first 'brought' her back from the United States, she was so happy, nice, kind, warm, and full of life. And the way her gentle soft eyes glowed…I hated it all." Chase started.

**(Brought…Who is Chase tryna fool? We ALL know that he kidnapped her!)**

"This girl has power beyond imagination. It surpasses even Grand Master Dashi's power, once it is at its full potential. With a little more training and practice, she will be a fine, and honorable, Haylin Warrior. Perhaps, even more fine and honorable than Omi." Chase finished.

"But what exactly did you do to her?" Wuya asked. "Well, it wasn't easily. This girl here is a fighter. But I managed to complete my task." Chase responded.

"Which was?"

"I erased her memory and did everything necessary to transform her into the perfect warrior. Even if it meant breaking her down into nothing and building her back up into something – a Haylin. Her memory shouldn't return to her. Not unless she finds something powerful enough to restore it by a coincidence. But I will make sure of it that that does not, and will not, happen."

"Brilliant, Chase. Just brilliant. I like this new apprentice of yours already. Surely she could replace Jack without a problem."

"Yes, that is very much correct."

"WHAT??? But, but, but, but you can't!" Jack cried. "On the contrary, Jack, I already have" Chase snapped his fingers, summoning his cats. "Get rid of him. I want him out of my sight."

"AAAHHH!" Jack screamed his shrill, girly scream as he jumped out of the palace to escape the deadly cats that were chasing him in pursuit.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Introduce yourself to Wuya." Chase commanded. "Yes, Chase-sama. Hello, Wuya-chan. My name is Crystal." The girl informed Wuya.

After that point, Crystal stopped paying all attention to Chase and Wuya's conversation. She knew what they further discussed did not concern her and was none of her business. Besides... She was in deep thought.

"_I am a Haylin. Nothing more, nothing less. My name is Crystal. I must follow Chase-sama and Wuya-chan's every command. That is all I know."_ Crystal mused.

"And that is all I need." Crystal muttered with a merciless look in her icy white eyes.

All she needed was Chase and Wuya. They were the only ones she trusted. They accepted her for what she is – unique. And she was willing to do anything for them.

Anything at all.

**Me: Well, there goes the revised version of chapter one, everybody!**

**Raimundo: Much better.**

**Me: Eh, it could always be better, but I think it's fine. Not quite so amateur-ish.**

**Raimundo: Yeah, f'real. This chapter could stand getting longer.**

**Me: Yeah, yeah... The whole story's under construction, so deal. Read and review everybody!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Haha, sorry everyone, I got rid of this author notes, too. I probably will delete all of them, because I feel like they take away from the story and are too long and stupid, so yeah...**

**Raimundo: She thinks she's all big and bad now just 'cuz she has better writing skills.**

**Me: Ha, whatever! Sorry about the short chapter everyone!**

**Raimundo: Yeah, you best be sorry!**

**Me: (ignores Rai-rai) I own nothing but Crystal and this story, everyone. But if I did own Xiaolin Showdown... (evil smirk) Raimundooooo... (innocent)**

**Raimundo: ...Why do I feel like my fate would be condemned by that?...**

**Me: Because it would be ;) Enjoy!**

Chapter Two Revised

"Crystal." The Scorpion King called for his new female apprentice. It was the afternoon of the next day and Chase had a plan. "Yes, Chase-sama?" Crystal asked, standing before Chase before getting on her knees in a bowing stance, looking up at her master. "I have a 'feeling' that we will run into the Xiaolin Warriors later on today." Chase began.

"The ones that Jack refers to as the Xiaolin Losers? And Opi?" Crystal curiously inquired, unintentionally interrupting Chase. Before Chase's mentioning just now, she had never heard of the Xiaolin Warriors.

"Well, when Jack, that moron, says 'Xiaolin Losers', he is referring to the Xiaolin Warriors, but when he says 'Opi', he is referring to Omi." Chase explained.

"Oh. Then who is this Omi you speak of?"

"Omi is one of the four Xiaolin Dragons –"

"Who are the Xiaolin Dragons?"

"The Xiaolin Dragons is another name for the Xiaolin Monks. Now –"

"Do they have any other names?"

"Yes Crystal, they do. Another name of them is Xiaolin Monks. Now, Omi is the Dragon of Water. And a formidable fighter. The time where you are faced against him will come soon enough, so do not worry so much about him right now." Chase finally answered Crystal's questions. **(So many questions…So little time…)**

"Now, as I was saying, I will bring you along with me so that I can introduce you to the Xiaolin Dragons. And, maybe even, perhaps, Shen Gong Wu. I personally have no need for them, but I do believe disarming the Xiaolin Dragons and making them as weak is possible would be a good idea. I need not their interference." Chase informed.

"She Gong Wu?" Crystal repeated with great confusion. "You'll understand. Soon enough, you will." Chase responded as he left the room and his confused apprentice without a word of further explanation..

"Oh, and Crystal?" Chase stopped to speak to the teenager without facing her. "Yes, Chase-sama?" Crystal automatically reacted to her name being said by Chase.

"I would like for you to come with me. Now. I have a plan for later on today, and it involves you." Chase called back as he walked into the next room."Understood. Coming, Chase-sama!" Crystal hurried after Chase.

**Change in POV**

"Xiaolin Apprentices, please come with me into the main room." Master Fung ordered. "Why Master Fung? What's up?" Raimundo asked as soon as he and his fellow monks entered the main room. Master Fung closed the door behind them.

"The ceiling, my friend." Omi answered. "It's a saying, Chrome Dome!" Raimundo exclaimed. "Oh. Bad my." Omi responded. "It's' my bad', Omi. Not bad my." Kimiko corrected her fellow monk. Master Fung cleared his throat to get his apprentices' attention. The monks' heads' snapped forward, giving their sensei their complete undivided attention.

"I have a special assignment for the four of you." Master Fung began. "Oh, Oh, OH! What is it that we must do, Master Fung?" Omi asked, jumping up and down with excitement. "Ooh, I tremble and hop to and fro with excitement already! I cannot wait to finally be back in action after such an agonizingly long break!!!"

"Maybe if you'd stop interrupting him, he'd be able to tell us." Raimundo muttered. "Calm down there, little fella!" Clay tried to calm the excited monk. "Your assignment is to find the Dragon of Elements." Master Fung informed. "Well that's a funny soundin' Shen Gong Wu, if I do say so myself." Clay folded his arm.

"Where do we find this Shen Gong Wu?" Kimiko asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You see, that's the funny part…We don't know." Dojo chuckled nervously. "What do you mean you do not know?!" Omi cried in bewilderment.

"Yeah, Dojo, can't you at least sense it? Is it active yet?" Kimiko asked. "I can't sense it, but we're almost positive it's a Shen Gong Wu." Dojo answered."Almost?" Raimundo repeated in a yelling voice. "Look, the Dragon of Elements has something to do with the four elements." Dojo started.

"Even the Chosen One cannot use and properly master all four elements. That's why we believe the Dragon of Elements is either a magical item of a Shen Gong Wu. It's just unheard of to be able to master all four elements without chaos ensuing."

"And that, is why we cannot allow the Haylin side to posses it. If they were to ever come across it and figure out how to properly use it…" Master Fung trailed off."We know, we know. The world would be hurled into a thousand years of darkness." Raimundo sighed, finishing Master Fung's sentence for him.

"And, in other words, we'd all be doomed."

"Hmmm…If I were a mysterious Shen Gong Wu, were would I be?" Omi thought aloud. "Maybe Chase Young has some knowledge of this new Wu?" Dojo suggested. "Even thought I REALLY don't like that guy, it wouldn't hurt to try asking him." Clay complied with Dojo.

"Yeah, but there's one problem. Chase doesn't trust us, and wouldn't tell us squat!" Raimundo pointed out. "But he trusts Omi, and he finds amusement in seeing his skills grow. If this Wu really is that powerfully and impressive, he'd definitely like to see Omi wield it and battle him with it. That being in mind, maybe he'll drop a hint or two." Kimiko responded.

"Well then it's settled. You guys are gonna go to Chase Young's palace and Omi's gonna ask him." Dojo announced. "Aren't you going as well, Dojo?" Master Fung inquired. "Oh…uh, well…I'd rather not. I mean. Since Chase eats things like me for dinner, I don't think it would be a good idea if I go to his palace so…BYE!" Dojo sped out of the room.

"Tell me how it goes!" Dojo called back. Then, Raimundo had an idea.

"Stupid Lizard. Now we have to WALK." Raimundo grumbled. Suddenly, Dojo came back in his transformed form with fearsome smoke surrounding him and eyes of anger.

**(It looks JUST like the very first episode when Raimundo first called Dojo a lizard!)**

"What did you just call me?" Dojo growled. "A lizard." Raimundo squeaked. "Don't EVER, as long as you live, call me a lizard!" Dojo snarled angrily. "Sweet! It worked!" Raimundo climbed onto Dojo's back along with Clay, Kimiko and Omi.

"What?! This was a set up! I've been scammed!" Dojo cried. "Go Dojo." Master Fung commanded. "Yes, Master Fung..." Dojo sighed in defeat and flew out of the temple by bursting through the roof.

"DOJO KANOJO CHO!" Master Fung yelled after the Chinese Dragon. "Ooops! Sorry, Master Fung!" Dojo called back. "DOJO, WHEN YOU GET BACK, YOU CLEAN UP THIS MESS FIX THE CEILING!!!"

"Yes, Mater Fung..."

"Ohhhh, Dojo got in trou-ble!"

"Shut up, Raimundo."

**Me: Well, that's all for the revised version of the second chapter. I warned you it would regrettably be short.**

**Raimundo: Yeah, well, maybe the next chapter will be better.**

**Me: Yeah, hopefully. I really hope I finish revising fast so that I can get into the mood and keep writing more to this story... My original ideas seemed to have wavered and changed into something else, so I'm pretty interested to see how this will end up.**

**Raimundo: Oh, boy... Evil authoress on the rampage...**

**Me: Pretty much xD. Thanks for the previous reviews, everyone! I cannot express how much they served as motivations! I'm really sorry I forgot about this story, but with school and band and life... Yeah, haha.**

**Raimundo: Read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Oh, god. I DEFINITELY had to get rid of this chapter's author notes... Ugh, I was so annoying and stupid three years ago...**

**Raimundo: It's okay. We can't all be as amazing and sweet as me.**

**Me: Haha, okay. You keep telling yourself that.**

**Raimundo: Hey! Don't diss me! I'll get my fan club on you!**

**Me: Do it. I'm not scared! xD **

**Raimundo: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story!**

Chapter Three Revised

After soaring through the skies for about half an hour, Dojo landed a mile away from the Scorpion King's palace. "Why'd you stop here, Dojo? I reckon Chase's palace is further down the yonder, if my eyes aren't deceiving me." Clay said as he and his fellow monks climbed off of the dragon's back.

Dojo stretched a bit before returning to his former smaller dragon state. "Because, Clay... Chase is right there." Dojo whimpered. The Scorpion King glared at Dojo with piercing bronze orbs. Dojo shrieked, ran up Clay, and hid under his ten gallon hat.

"Chase Young." Omi growled. "What's the matter, Omi? Are you not pleased to see me?" Chase taunted, his lips pulled into a wicked smirk as he crossed his arms."Xiaolin Dragons, I have a new apprentice. Would you like to meet her?"

"Like we have a choice. She'll be getting her butt handed to her by us eventually, anyway." Kimiko muttered under her breath. "Oh, is that so, Dragon of Fire? Hm. Your cockiness never ceases. Come forth, my apprentice." Chase barked for his new follower,

The Xiaolin Dragons watched as a feminine silhousette surface. Petals of sakura blossoms blew in a sourceless breeze and revealed a young teenage girl clad in an elegant, female version of Haylin armor, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

The teenager kneeled at Chase's side respectfully with her head lowered and eyes hidden from the Xiaolin Dragons, already knowing her permanent place. "Yes, Chase-sama? You have summoned me, my lord?"

"Rise to your feet and allow the Xiaolin Dragons to get a good look at you. So that they can remember your pretty little face. You have my permission to interact with them" Chase commanded Crystal, his voice as hard and cold as his eyes as he watched the monks.

"Yes, my lord Chase-sama." Crystal nodded, standing up on her feet and allowing the monks to get a better look at her. She slowly opened her eyes, exposing her bewitching white eyes to her new sworn enemies.

"Well I'll be damned, but Chase's new apprentice is one heck of a hottie! It's a shame she's a girl, and so attractive on top of that, because I just can't bring myself to hit a girl..."Clay murmured. "Yes, she is cute. Very cute." Omi agreed with his friend in a whisper.

"...I can hear you perfectly well. My hearing is impeccable. I will take you finding me attractive as a compliment." Crystal _slightly_ half smiled, which made the boys slightly blush due to her ratting them out, but just as fast as it came, her half smile was gone.

"Oh, please... " Kimiko rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "As if you'd know, little lady! Since when did _you_ judge other females? Isn't that girl cute, Rai?" Clay turned to the Braizilian.

But Raimundo failed to hear him.

He was too busy staring at Chase's new apprentice in total disbelief.

"_She looks so... Familiar... What is this feeling?... Could she be... Is she...!!! Ohmygod, no! No…It can't be! That __**can't**__ be her!"_ Raimundo thought, an internal conflict be aroused from within him. "...Um, Rai?" Clay gently pushed Raimundo, knocking him out of deep thought.

"Hm? Oh yeah, she's really cute. Oh no, I mean no, I mean yes, I mean…I DON'T KNOW!" Raimundo cried as a response, blushing. All three of his friends gave him a confused look, wondering why he was acting so strange and slightly discomforted.

"...Hey, girl... What is your name?" Raimundo inquired. Crystal looked towards Chase, silently asking for permission to answer Raimundo's question. Chase nodded, granting her permission. "My name is Crystal... But who are you to ask for my name?" Crystal answered. _"I knew_ _it! It is her!_ Raimundo thought, but another part of him screamed, _"Don't be stupid! Of course that isn't her! That can't be your- "_

"You are the Xiaolin Dragon of the Wind, aren't you? What is your name?" Crystal asked. She didn't quite know why, but for some reason, she could feel Raimundo getting to her somehow.

She found interest in this boy. Not love or anything, just interest. Curiosity towards the unknown. _"Why do I feel the need to get near this boy? What exactly is it about him that is drawing me in, like moths to a flame?" _Crystal wondered.

"_You must not befriend this boy. You must not get close to anyone. Every time you open up to someone, they just end up hurting you. And besides... You do not belong with a Xiaolin Warrior, the enemy. You are different. You are Haylin. You are Chase-sama's apprentice. You do not_ _belong." _Crystal reminded herself.

"...The name's Raimundo Pedrosa." Raimundo finally answered with a twinge of disappointment_. "Does she not remember me?"_ Raimundo pondered. _"Of course not, you idiot, because that can't be her! That just __**can't**__ be her... Even is she looks like her... Even if she walks like her... Even if she moves like her... She doesn't talk like her! And her eyes... They're not the same eyes of the girl you-"_

"Rai, what's wrong? You're spacing out on us" Kimiko asked with a hint of concern in her voice, tugging on the Dragon of Wind's sleeve. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know what to call this apprentice. It wouldn't seem right to call her 'Chase's Apprentice', since she has a name and all." Raimundo responded quickly.

"Okay…" Kimiko trailed of, the concern a little more audible. "Since you are here, and since we have indeed crossed paths, Chase Young... Do you know anything about the Dragon of Elements?" Omi raised a curious eyebrow at the haylin.

"The Dragon of Elements, huh? Yeah, I've heard of it. Why do you ask?" Chase inquired. "The Dragon of Elements is a golden medallion. It has a carving of a dragon on it and when it is used, is gives you the ability to use all four elements." Crystal interrupted.

"I did not give you permission to speak." Chase growled. "Sorry, Chase-sama. Please excuse my unauthorized actions." Crystal apologized "Whatever." Chase rolled eyes. "Where is it located?" Raimundo asked Crystal. "…Tomorrow. In the evening, 2 hours before the sunsets. At 5 pm. In Rio de Janiero, Brazil. That is where it will show itself." Crystal answered.

"When did I give you permission to speak, wretch?!" Chase snarled. "I am sorry, Chase-sama, I forgot to ask your permission. I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me." Crystal once again apologized.

"Then think before you speak! Don't let this happen again, do you understand me?"

"Understood, my lord."

"Who told you that?" Raimundo mouthed to Crystal. "My lady Wuya-chan and my lord Chase-sama." Crystal mouthed back. "That is enough, Crystal. Time to go. The Xiaolin Dragons seem to have the information they sought for by coming here." Chase turned and walked away."Oh, wait for me, Chase-sama!" Crystal trotted after Chase.

"...I reckon I don't approve of the way Chase treats that girl." Clay folded his arms is clear disapproval. "Nor do I, my good friend, nor do I. But that is very much out of our control, and frankly, none of our concern. She is Chase's apprentice and a Haylin. She is not one of us." Omi replied

"...Okay, well, we've got what we came out here for, so let's go." Raimundo said as an awkward silence filled the air and walked towards Dojo, who was already transforming. "Yes... I agree with Raimundo. Our goal was reached, and much easier than we had previously hoped. Let us return, my friends." Omi nodded, following Raimundo, along with Clay.

Silently, Kimiko caught up with Raimundo and walked beside of the monk. She glanced at him, seeing an expression of deep thought and confusion written across his face. _"Rai…What is wrong? What is_ _it that bothers you so much?"_ Kimiko mused.

_"Is it that girl? What is it about confronting her that left you feeling that way? And what is this deep, unsettling irritation I feel?... Why did it bug me... To watch you watch her so adoringly?"_

**Me: And that's it for the third revised chapter. I'm really trying to drag these chapters out without having to change the way the story is set up altogether, but it seems pretty much impossible. I may re-format the entire thing... Eventually. I just don't want it to collapse and leave me with having no idea what to do with it, y'know?**

**Raimundo: Yeah, we know. Well everybody, read and review please!**

**Me: Yeah, now all you have to do is push that nice little button labeled, 'submit review' at the end of this page!**

**Raimundo: Aah, how nice it is to have short and straight forward author notes...**

**Me: (nods in agreement) F'real.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Konnichiwa Tomodachi! (I decided I could keep this opening A/N note, haha)**

**Raimundo: …What?**

**Kimiko: It means 'Hello Friends' in Japanese.**

**Raimundo: Well of course you'd know, Little Miss Japanese!**

**Kimiko: And proud of it.**

**Me: Okay people, I warn you to be VERY careful when you read from here on out of my story.**

**Raimundo: Why?**

**Me: Because Rai-rai, I'm gonna be trying to mislead the readers into thinking a few things.**

**Kimiko: Like what?**

**Me: Can't tell ya. It would ruin the suspense I'm trying to build up.**

**Raimundo: Well it surely ain't workin'.**

**Me: (glares at Raimundo) Rai-rai, start the chapter.**

**Raimundo: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story. And stop callin' me Rai-rai!**

Chapter Four Revised

"Master Fung, we're back!" Dojo announced as soon as he landed on the Xiaolin Grounds. The Chinese Dragon let the teenage monks off of his back and changed once more into his smaller state.

It was nighttime now. The sky was black and full of bright stars.

Dojo, Clay, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Omi walked into the holy temple.

"Great, Dojo, now you can start fixing the – " Master Fung began, but was interrupted by Dojo muttering as he slithered past him with a hammer in his hand, nails in his mouth, and wood held over his right shoulder with one clawed hand, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm getting to it."

"Good. Now, my apprentices…Did you happen find the whereabouts of the Dragon of Elements from Chase Young?" Master Fung inquired. "Yeah." Raimundo answered dryly before turning and walking down the hall, towards his bedroom.

**(In this story, the temple looks the same, but the inside is more "pimped out" and everyone has an actual bedroom of their own)**

"...May I ask what exactly is wrong with Raimundo?" Master Fung asked. "We don't know, Master Fung. We tried to ask him all during the ride home, but he just wouldn't tell us. Rai claims that it's nothing, but I'm actually a bit worried." Kimiko admitted to her sensei.

"I... I think it has something to do with Chase's new female apprentice, Crystal."

Master Fung raised a curious eyebrow at the Dragon of Fire. "And just who this new apprentice of Chase's? Is the problem Chase's apprentice herself, or simply the fact that she is female?"

"Don't worry, Master Fung, we'll explain everything that we know and fill you in on everything that happened." Kimiko assured the old man. "Yes, and we will also tell endlessly how pretty she is!" Omi exclaimed.

"You can bet on that one, partner!" Clay agreed with Omi. "Master Fung, that Crystal girl is a hot-tie!" Kimiko sighed deeply before groaning. "Not _AGAIN..._"

* * *

"Man... Why do things always have to be so complicated? Can't I just get a freebie every once in awhile? I mean dang, really... Ugh..." Raimundo sighed and fell back onto his bed, fusterated.

He had some serious thinking to do.

"_So that new unknown Shen Gong Wu is in Rio de Janiero, is it?… Rio de Janiero... That's... That's my home... And it's also... It's the place where we... She and I... First met."_ Raimundo thought.

"_It's hard to believe it's been five years since I… Moved so far away from her. And since she had to go back to America…She's so different now…_ _She barely even smiles, and she's so formal and stuffy. She isn't happy and full of life anymore. And her beautiful warm white eyes have been reduced to ice. I just can't accept that that's really her, even though I'm almost positive now that it is..."_

"Oh god, Crystal, what has Chase done to you? Why have you joined the Haylin side? Why can't you remember me? Why are you so cold now? Just... Why?" Raimundo asked aloud, as though he expected an answer.

Lucky for Raimundo, no one heard him. Then, it finally hit Raimundo.

Hard.

"_...Oh, man! Now that I'm on the Xiaolin side, and she's on the Haylin side, we have to be enemies!"_ Raimundo realized. _"Am I really going to be forced to fight her? Can I do that? And when the time comes... Could I really bring her down?"_

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

"Aw, man... Who is that?..." Raimundo sat up, rubbing his eyes as he fought off the twinge of irritation he felt by his thoughts being interrupted. He knew whoever it was had interrupted him with a purpose.

"Who is it?"

"It's Kimiko."

"Oh... Come in, Kim."

Raimundo watched as the young Japanese teenger walked in and up to him with a look of honest concern plastered on her face. _"Damn. Did I worry her? I can handle her flaring temper, but her worry and being upset is something I just don't know how to respond to..." _Raimundo mentally cursed himself.

"Rai?" Kimiko asked a she walked in and sat on the edge of Raimundo's bed. "What is it, Kimiko?" Raimundo asked. "Okay, something's up. Raimundo, please tell me what's wrong." Kimiko pleaded, desperately wanting to know what was wrong with her friend.

"It's nothing, Kimiko."

"You're lying, Rai! It has something to do with Crystal, I know it does! It's written all over your face! What is it about her that bothers you so much?"

"No, it's not about her."

"Raimundo, we've been through so much together... You, me, Clay, and Omi... Why can't you tell us what's wrong? Do you feel like you can't trust us? Do you think that lowly of us? That lowly of me?"

"Will you stop talking like that? Of course I trust you guys! You're my friends!"

"Really? Are we? Because friends confide in each other - and you refuse to confide in us."

"God, Kimiko! Just let me think, okay, Kim? Is it against the law for me to _think_? Can't a guy _think_ every once in awhile?!"

"I… I just wanted to know what was wrong... I'm worried about you, okay?! Is that so wrong of me?!" Kimiko whispered, lowering her eyes. Raimundo sighed again and ran his hands through his hair.

"Look, Kim... I'm sorry. Seriously, I am. I know that you're just concerned, but there's nothing to be concerned about. I'm fine. Really." Raimundo apologized. "...If you say so…" Kimiko trailed off with uncertainty.

**Change in POV**

"Hm... So it seems as though my lord's plans went accordingly. The Xiaolin Dragons bought our act... How pathetic..." Crystal walked into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She had just been dismissed from Chase's study, where they had a lengthy discussion about their next motives.

"Why do they trust what I say so easily? Did I really seem like a victim to them? How wrong they are... I'm with my lord because I choose to be. My vision can only be reached through Chase-sama's ideals. I choose the path of Haylin. I could never be something a despicable as a Xiaolin Warrior... I owe Chase-sama my life."

_"Who... Who are you?"_

_"I am Chase Young, the Scorpion King."_

_"The... Scorpion King? Where am I?..."_

_"Your life is nearing its end. You are gravely injuried, you have no home, and you have no means of sustaining yourself."_

_"I... I don't even remember my own name... Do you know what happened to me?"_

_"That will all come in due time. I will see to it that you know the simple things. I will also provide you a home, food, water, and a comfortable lifestyle. All you must do in return... Is summit yourself to me. If you agree... From now on, you must address to me as your master. You will do as I say."_

_"In other words... I must become your slave?"_

_"Slave? I prefer thinking you as my apprentice."_

_"Your apprentice... Well what exactly are you? What do you do? Where are we?"_

_"The important thing is, do you will to be saved? Or do you want me to take you back to where I found you and leave you there to die alone?"_

_"...I... I don't want to die... I'm not ready to die yet..."_

_"Then give me your hand. And I promise... In return of your loyalty and trust, I will take care of you. I will personally make you my responsibility."_

_"...I see... Then I have no other choice but to trust you and confide in you... Chase-sama. Thank you... For saving my life. I swear my unwavering loyalty to you, my lord."_

_"That was a wise decision... Crystal."_

_"Is that... My name?"_

"...Regardless, the Xiaolin Dragons seem to earnestly believe they will find 'Dragon of Elements'. I mean, of course it will be in Rio de Janiero tomorrow at the specified time... But they will not find what they pursue. Not in the way any of them expected, at least. There's no way any of them could understand... Just what the Dragoin of Elements really is."

"Shen Gong Wu, Haylin, Xiaolin, Showdowns... All of this is so new to me. It's all so deep and complex, I don't know were to begin. But... I will excel in my performance tomorrow. No one can stop me from pleasing my lord Chase-sama."

_"...The name's Raimundo Pedrosa."_

Suddenly remembering the Dragon of Wind, Crystal sighed in fusteration before undressing to change into her night clothes, pondering all the while._"Raimundo Pedrosa… Hmmm... Why does that name sound so... Nostalgic? And why does that boy himself seem so…I don't know… Familiar?_

"_It's like I've heard his name before somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it, but maybe something about him reminds me of my former life... After all, I seem to unconscioisly drop my guard around him... But all I can remember is waking up in Chase-sama's palace with this half of a locket clutched in my hand."_

Crystal approached the mirror on her fancy and expensive dresser. She wore a silk white nightgown with her long hair flowing wavily down her back. After examining her reflection, she reached over and grabbed a golden half of a heart-shaped locket from off of her dresser.

"_...Heh. I've grown so found of this necklace... I've even grown into claiming it as my own. I guess it might as well be... I did wake up on the verge of death with no memories with it my hand. I have no idea where the other half is, though… I wonder what happened to it."_ Crystal thought.

**"I sense that you are troubled, my princess."**

"...My guardian. I am so grateful that all of my memories of you are still in tact... I don't what I would have done without you, my lord Chase-sama, and my lady Wuya-chan helping me through this past week... Because of my memory failure, I have pretty much been reborn."

**"Your Highness, there be no reason for you to speak so formally to me. I have know you since the very day of you birth. There is no one who shall ever understand you better than I."**

"Heh, that is true, isn't it? Keeping this strong face is so... Hard. I'm not quite fitting into this Haylin exterior I've created for myself to please my lord Chase-sama... But... I cannot allow the Xiaolin to continue! I will please my lord Chase-sama, and I will also eliminate the Xiaolin Dweebs!"

**"Xiaolin... Dweebs?"**

"Yeah! That's my name for them, you know! But I can't say that to their faces - I have to be a formidable and respectful opponet! Not to mention professional!"

**"Haha! Your Highness, forgive me, but you are just so cute when you start pouting so determinedly."**

"What? I'm not pouting! I am feared! I am powerful! I am almighty! I am a Haylin Warrior!"

**"So you claim. But anyway, what about Raimundo? Chase suspects you will be facing off against him, if all follows accordingly to his plans. Tomorrow, you should be facing him in Rio de Janiero."**

"...Yes, I am aware of that. But why should that matter? It doesn't matter if he seems a little familiar... It's probabaly nothing, Besides, he's my enemy. I am Haylin, and he is Xiaolin. We were born to hate one another."

**"Your mother... She was a Xiaolin Warrior."**

"But didn't you say she left Xiaolin after getting serious with my father, who was Haylin, because they saw her as a traitor?"

**"That is correct."**

"It's so weird that I'm being told about my own life by someone else, heh! It's a little weird... The first time I opened up that locket, I saw a little boy's picture in it... He's about eleven years old, and he's the splitting image of Raimundo... So it makes me think... Whoever that necklace belonged to knew him. Or if that locket really is mine... Then maybe I knew him in my 'past life'. That makes me wonder even more who he was to me... But that was then and this is now."

**"Don't worry. You will find the answer to all these unsolved questions."**

"What makes you so sure?"

**"Because I believe that there is a time and season for everything. Allow everything to play out, if I may suggest so to you, my princess."**

With a sigh, Crystal crawled into bed. She carefully slid the locket under her pillow and got comfortable, ready to sleep. "Thank you... Artemis. I know I never say this enough to you, but... I would be lost without you."

**"I will always be there when you need me. Viva la princia." (this means "you are my one and only princess")**

And with a pleasant smile playing across her lips, Crystal closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

**Me: And that's the end of the revised version of chapter four. Much different from the original version, but I prefer it :D**

**Raimundo: Yeah, yeah, of course you prefer it.**

**Me: It makes me mad that the surprise in this is kinda spoiled, though! Oh well... So be it xD**

**Raimundo: (shakes head) You always have to be diabolical and make things hard on people, otherwise you'll pout, don't you?**

**Me: Pretty much! Haha! Read and review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: Alrighty everyone, time to revise another chapter.**

**Raimundo: Yep, 'sho is.**

**Me: 'Sho nuff.**

**Raimundo: Yep.**

**Me: Uh-huh.**

**Raimundo: Okay, enough.**

**Me: F'real.**

**Raimundo: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

Chapter Five Revised

"Alrighty, Xiaolin Warriors, it's time to get up! Wakey wakey eggs and baccyyy!!! Up 'n' at 'im!" Dojo yelled, hitting the sacred gong over and over again repeatedly in order to awaken Master Fung's apprentices, who were all groggily trudging through the main room.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!" All five Xiaolin Monks screamed simultaneously, literally jumping ten feet in the air. "Wow. You guys just jumped ten feet into the air!" Dojo gasped.

"Really? It felt much higher..." Raimundo muttered, glaring lethally at the dragon, who innocently smiled back. "What didja wake us up for, little buddy?" Clay demanded sleepily with a yawn, stretching.

"Because – it's training time!" Dojo replied over enthusiastically. "Aw man, but it's only like, five in the morning, Dojo! You can't be serious!" Raimundo cried in bewilderment, followed by a miserable groan.

"I wouldn't rise from my own beauty sleep this early in the god forsaken morning if I wasn't serious. Besides, the new Shen Gong Wu should reveals itself in ten hours, and you guys have been on a losing streak. You guys need as much practice as you can get." Dojo added as he left the main room.

"...I suppose Dojo is right... We have been on quite a losing streak lately... Perhaps it would be a good idea for us to skill up on our brush's mad..." Omi trailed off. "Omi, man, it's 'brush up on our mad skills', not 'skill up on our brush's mad'." Raimundo sweat dropped, sighing.

Greatly displeased by this situation, Kimiko began to rant to herself. "That good for nothing serpent! What I wouldn't give to just pound him into the ground right now...!!!" The Japanese teen growled violently.

"Whoa Kimiko, calm down, little missy!" Clay exclaimed. "I was sleeping!!!!! I need my beauty sleep!" Kimiko snapped back. "Well, I don't _need_ it, because I'm already as beautiful as beautiful gets, but hey, beauty sleep's never hurt anybody!"

"As beautiful as beautiful gets, huh? Well I don't see how that's possible. You're no where_ near _as beautiful as beautiful as Chase's new apprentice, Kim. She what I call a _work_ of _art_." Clay muttered.

"Indeed, my friend, Crystal is most beautiful." Omi nodded in agreement. "...You're lucky I'm tired and the simple fact I'm feelin' merciful today." Kimiko gritted her teeth as she stalked off towards the kitchen.

"What? We're just tellin' the truth, Kimiko! Don't get mad, now! Jeez!" Clay sighed, trailing after the Dragon of Fire along with Omi to the kitchen. Raimundo stayed behind.

Silently, the Dragon of Wind walked in the opposite direction, back down the hallway and into his room. Once in his room, he approached the large chest sitting in the corner of his room, knelt down to it, and opened it.

After digging around inside of it for a few minutes, he pulled something out from inside of it, and held it in the palm of his hand before nostalgically admiring it.

"_Crys... Maybe if I wear this... She'll remember. At least... I hope she will."_ Raimundo thought. _"I wonder if this will even work... Will she snap out of her amnesia if she sees this?... Well, it's worth a shot... I've got nothing to lose."_

"Come on, Rai! We're starvin', buddy, so if you don't hurry on up and haul your rear end in here, I reckon we gonna start eatin' without'cha!"

"I'm coming, Clay! Don't eat everything up before I even get there, dang!" Raimundo quickly tied the object around his neck and covered it with his robes to hide it.

"_I wonder what it will take for you to remember me... For you to remember us."_

**Change in POV**

"Crystal, it's time to get up." Wuya shook Chase's new apprentice gently. Seeing that Crystal was still out cold, deep in sleep, the witch began to shake her violently in order to awaken her.

"Ughhh... My lady Wuya-chan... I don't mean to be rude, but you do realize it's only five in the morning, right...? I'm tired..." Crystal groaned groggily. "Yes, but Chase wants you to start your training now." Wuya shrugged.

"And besides, you need to get used to using Shen Gong Wu. Chase forbade you from using those interesting powers of yours, remember?." Wuya tossed Crystal the Eye of Dashi.

Crystal caught the Shen Gong Wu and handled it with great care. "…Yes, I remember that. Chase-sama went out of his way to clearly explain to me the importance of not using my powers." Crystal responded as she inspected the Shen Gong Wu.

"What is the name of this, 'Shen Gong Wu', as you call it?" Crystal inquired.

"The Eye of Dashi." Wuya answered as she left the room. _"Eye of Dashi, huh? Sounds cool. I wonder what it does…" _Crystal thought as she sleepily got out of bed.

"**Are you really up to this? These Shen Gong We hold power that you have never encountered before."**

"...Yes, I know that. But if it is my lord Chase-sama and my lady Wuya-chan's desire that I master these weapons and use them to fight instead of my own natural powers, then so be it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

"**Hm. I see. It's a bit unnerving... To see how willing my princess is to bow down before another... It makes my blood boil."**

"You think far too much of it, Artemis. Please do not worry about me."

"**How can you ask your most loyal servant to not worry about you, my princess?"**

"Heh... I am no princess. I'm just... Me. I hope that one day you'll be able to see that, and address me the same as any normal person."

"**The fact of the matter is, princess, you are not a normal person, and no matter what you say, you can not deny the royal Serenian blood running through your veins, my lady. I promised Her Majesty that I would look after and protect you. I swore to myself that I would be your keeper."**

"_You're so loyal and uptight, Artemis... You should do yourself a favor by loosening up and enjoying yourself. Times have changed, and so have people." Crystal thought with a sigh. By now, she was fully dressed and ready._

"_I must go to Chase-sama now. My lord awaits me... And I will always answer without hesitation."_

**Change in POV**

"Aaaahhh! That was a dang good breakfast, if I do say so myself!" Clay rubbed his belly in satisfactory, earning a glares and rolling eyes from his companions.

"Of course _you'd_ know, Clay. You ate up almost all of the food!" Kimiko muttered.

"Couldn't help it, young lady. A man's gotta eat." Clay shrugged.

The young monks were heading outside to begin their practice for the upcoming battle for the new Shen Gong Wu today. As soon as they got settled on the training grounds with the Wu, they began to make their choice.

"Okay, guys, I call Star Hanabi!" Kimiko called dibs on her choice of Shen Gong Wu. "All right, but I call Third Arm Sash." Clay declared, already reaching for the mystical sash.

"And I, my friends, call Orb of Tsunami, naturally. What about you, Raimundo?" Omi asked the Brazilian. "You know me, Sword of the Storm, all the way!" Raimundo replied.

"All right, then... Well... Let's go and do a bit of that training Dojo was talking about, eh? Star Hanabi, Fire!" Kimiko yelled, aiming her attack at the Dragon of Wind. "Sword of the Storm, Wind!" Raimundo shouted to thwart Kimiko's fiery attack.

"Aw, now was that aimed to hit _me_, Kim? Oh, so sorry, but you're _way _too slow to hit _me_!" Raimundo taunted the Dragon of Fire. "But this is not! Orb of Tsunami, Water!" Omi bellowed.

"AAAAHHHH!!! OMI, YOU BIG HEADED IDIOT!" Raimundo screamed as icy, painfully cold water from Orb of Tsunami assaulted him ruthlessly."Dammit, this two on one nonsense isn't fair at all!"

"Take it like a warrior, Rai! Judalette Flip, Fire!" Kimiko exclaimed, hitting the Dragon of Wind with her powerful flames and burning him to a crisp.

He was as black as coal! Thanks to yours truly, Kimiko Tohomiko!

"Ow, ow, ow...!!!" Raimundo twitched in pain. "How do ya like me now, Raimundo? Was _that _fast enough for ya, _hot shot_?" Kimiko taunted her fellow monk. _"How much do I like you? Right __**now**__? Not. At. __**All**__..."_ Raimundo thought in pain.

He knew better than to let the sassy, hot-headed Dragon of Fire hear him, which was why he left his smart comment in his mind. She'd kick his butt, and sent him to the next galaxy!

"Ouch, Rai! I do reckon that must hurt. You look even more burnt than a – " Clay was discontinued by Raimundo glaring at him. "Shut. Up." he growled.

"Young Monks, are you training?"

The four monks turned to see Master Fung walking towards them from the Xiaolin Temple and onto the training grounds.

"Yes, we most certainly are, and Raimundo is creating a new method of training!" Omi informed his sensei.

Master Fung looked towards the crisped Dragon of Wind with great confusion. "Oh? And what exactly is this new training style that he is forging?" Master Fung inquired.

"His training is to learn how to provoke a certain girl to the point where she burns him to a crisp with that big hot head of hers." Omi informed. "As Clay would say, anyway!"

"...You're lucky you're cute, Omi." Kimiko sighed, crossing her arms.

**Change in POV**

" Hmmm…Okay, now let's see what this so-called Shen Gong Wu can do!" Crystal thought as she pulled out Eye of Dashi.

She was now outside of Chase Young's palace, beginning her training for what was to come later that night. "Eye of Dashi!" Crystal shouted. Powerful lightning shot out of the red jewel in the center of the Shen Gong Wu, and struck Crystal's target ruthlessly.

"...Hm. Well that's definitely interesting. I'm already a skilled fighter, so if this is all there is to activating and wielding a Shen Gong We, then I'm sure I'll get the hang of this even sooner than I had anticipated." Crystal twirled that necklace around her finger.

After about fifteen more minutes of arduous training with the Eye of Dashi, the young Haylin Warrior sat down and sighed, toying with her new Shen Gong Wu in her hands.

" These things… These Shen Gong Wu... They wield great power. From what I have studied, many wars have been roused over the need to possess these weapons. Countless lives have been lost for these items... The lands have been bathed in blood numerous times over these items." Crystal thought.

"_What is the point of such destructive objects, I wonder? Why were things like these Shen Gong Wu entrusted to humans? Though these items have the ability to save lives and protect humanity, all humans know is **destruction** and **warfare**... Humans like those despicable Xiaolin Warriors."_

"_**What do you think you're doing?"**_

"_**I believe that I'm here to take back what rightful belongs to me."**_

"_**You're out of luck, then, because the Seven Jewels of Serenity are not here."**_

"_**Is that so?"**_

"_**Yes. You've burnt down and destroyed our precious Serenia... There is nothing left for you to annihilate, and there is no where in Serenia the jewels could be hiding that you have not already looked."**_

"_**Are you trying to say no one knows where they are?"**_

"_**Not even I know where the jewels are."**_

"**_I see. It's such a shame... I went through so much trouble to vanquish your world, and still, I shall return home empty handed. What a waste of effort... I might as well dispose of you, as well."_**

"_**Do as you will... Even in death, we Serenians shall not forget the genocide that you wretched humans have bestowed upon us."**_

Crystal's eyes widened, confusion and shock sweeping over her. _"W... What was that...? Who were those people... What... What were they talking about? Genocide...? The Serenians endured... Genocide? But... Why?"_

"Crystal, come here immediately. It is imperative that explain to you the rules of a Xiaolin Showdown and how they work."

At the sound of her master's voice, Crystal snapped out of it, being drawn back to reality. As the grim feeling the sudden 'memory' left her, she reluctantly turned towards Chase Yong's palace.

"...None of that is important right now. I am a warrior, and my lord Chase-sama is my master. As his vassal, my life is dedicated to hi. It's as simple as that. Everything else... Fails to matter." Crystal shook herself and took a deep breathe to clear her mind.

Now concentrated on the Shen Gong Wu and what Chase had to teach her, the teenage girl darted back into her master's palace obediently.

**Me: Phew. That one took awhile. I had no idea what to do with it, and it still isn't that good -_-**

**Raimundo: Yeah, you're right.**

**Me: (shoots a glare) Jeez, at least I'm TRYING to fix it now, you heifer!**

**Raimundo: Oh, hell no! Did you just call me a cow?!**

**Me: Yeah, I did! Whacha gonna do 'bout it, huh?! WHACHA GON' DO?!?! Do you wanna tussle? You wanna GO? Cuz I mean, if you wanna GO, we'll GO! If you feelin' froggy, you best jump, buh!**

**Raimundo: ...(ignores) Read and review, please.**

**Me: Yeah, that's what I thought! Ain't gonna do NUTHIN'!**

**Raimundo: (shakes head and sighs)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Time for another revision!**

**Raimundo: Finally! It's taking you forever!**

**Me: I know, and I apologize. Just been really busy and tired lately. But hey, I've got a week of spring break, so I'll try to do as much as I can!**

**Raimundo: You best.**

**Me: Oh yeah? Come MAKE ME.**

**Raimundo: I WILL.**

**Me: Pfft. Child boo.**

**Raimundo: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but this story and her characters.**

**Me: As sad as that is :(**

Chapter Six Revised

"Xiaolin Warriors, I hope you have all been training efficiently, because you must now leave for the upcoming Shen Gong Wu. It is now four o'clock. On Dojo's back, you should get to Rio de Janiero in a little less than an hour." Master Fung told the young monks.

"Does everyone have their Shen Gong Wu?"

"Yes, Master Fung." The three young warriors chorused, with a confident 'Man, don't worry about us – We GOT this' look on their faces. "That is good. Tell me, would anyone happen to know where Raimundo is?" Master Fung asked his apprentices, who all shook their heads.

"Sorry, Master Fung, but we've got no clue. Rai's been wanderin' off a long lately." Clay answered. "Hm. I see. Well, I'm sure he will appear before your departure. Raimundo is not one to wimp out and abandon his fellow teammates." Master Fung said with much confidence in the young warrior.

"Dojo is waiting for you outside. Make sure that you are ready before you depart."

With that, the old monk left the room. Seeing that the meeting was over, the Dragons of Fire, Water, and Earth turned around and began to make their way outside of the Xiaolin Temple.

"...I guess we should go get Raimundo... That slacker, running off like this right before a showdown..." Kimiko sighed, turning towards her friends. "Yes, this behavior is most slackerish of Raimundo." Omi agreed.

"Who's the one slacking off, now? I could've sworn it was you three."

The three monks looked up to see Dojo in his large dragon form and Raimundo already lounging comfortably on his back. "You guys are late. Tsk, tsk, tsk." Raimundo shook his head, wagging his finger at his friends.

"You're the one that didn't even show up when Master Fung summoned us! _We_ actually did what we were _supposed _to do!" Kimiko snorted. "Master Fung'll get over it. It's time to go, everyone, so shake a leg and get a move on." Raimundo announced.

"Who died to make _you _the leader of this group? And why must you state the obvious? As if we couldn't piece that together for ourselves." Kimiko muttered. "_I _died to make myself leader, happy? And I state the obvious because I _can_, Kim, that's why." It was Raimundo's turn to retort.

"No, you can't Rai, because there's no point in it, and no one needs you to, because we are all responsible young adults, unlike a _certain _friend of ours." Kimiko replied, shooting an accusing glare at Raimundo.

"Oh, so now you're insinuating that I'm not responsible or mature? Hmph, well it's not like you stop me. I'll say whatever I want to say."

"No, you won't, because I CAN and WILL shut you up."

"Oh, yeah? Do something then, Kimiko."

Seeing the wide and taunting smirk on the Brazilian's face, Kimiko gritted her teeth. He knew as well as she did that he had complete freedom over his mouth and what came out of it, and that arrogant grin was more than she could bare!

_IT WAS SO ANNOYING!_

But then again, this _IS_ Raimundo we're talking about.

How could he _NOT_ be annoying? Being annoying is his _specialty_! He _lived _to be annoying! But honestly, Kimiko _REALLY_ didn't mind it _THAT_ much. In fact, she the way Raimundo was always so playful, especially towards her and the other fellow monks.

Though she'd never admit it, she felt that out of her three comrades, she was closest to Raimundo. She even considered him her best friend. If she had the option to change anything, _anything_ at all, about Raimundo Pedrosa, she wouldn't change a single thing about him. After all, if she did that, he wouldn't be the Rai everyone loved.

But still, that didn't mean she couldn't shut him down and rip of that smirk of his!

"Thanks, _Captain Obvious_, but if you don't swipe that silly grin off your face, I swear, I'm going to – " Kimiko began, but was discontinued by Clay Bailey.

"Now, I really hate to interrupt people and their conversations, 'cuz my mama taught me better than to be rude, but we don't have time for ya'll to be arguin' like this. I reckon we gotta get a move on, partners." Clay stopped Kimiko and Raimundo's upcoming argument from occurring.

Clay and Omi had already climbed up onto Dojo's back while Kimiko and Raimundo had been arguing. "Yeah... I guess you're right." Kimiko huffed reluctantly. "Here, need a hand, Kim?" Raimundo extended a hand to Kimiko, offering to pull her up.

"Truce. I swear."

"...You'd better not do anything stupid." Kimiko muttered, taking Raimundo's hand, actually more willingly than she let on. Once Raimundo pulled Kimiko up and everyone was settled, Dojo rose to his feet. "All right, now that everyone's finally ready to go, Rio de Janiero, here we come!" The Chinese dragon took off.

"Whatever, just don't interrupt my game. I'm playing Goo Zombies Seven." Kimiko began to play the infamous video game on her PDA.

"Ooo, Goo Zombies Seven?! That one's not even in stores yet!" Raimundo exclaimed. "My Papa sent it to me. Papa gives me anything and everything I want, because I'm his little girl. There's many perks to being the daughter of a rich Japanese business man." Kimiko responded, taunting Raimundo with the game.

"Let me play!" Raimundo pleaded with the Japanese girl. As she hovered it above his head, his eyes got big, admiring the game as though it was the most beautiful and amazing thing he had even seen in his life, sent straight from heaven.

"Nope. Hands off. It's brand new, and I haven't even played it yet.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?!?!"

"No."

"Damn, Kimiko, can't you say anything else besides no?!"

"Hm. Well, try asking asking again, Rai. Maybe you'll get lucky this time."

"Can I _PLEASE_ play Goo Zombies Seven?"

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO."

"Aaarrrggghhh, give it here, Kimiko!" Raimundo snatched the PDA away from Kimiko and ran to the other end of Dojo's back. "HEY! Give it back!" Kimiko ordered, running after the Dragon of Wind.

"Hey! Will you two chill out up there?! You're hurting my back with all that running!" Dojo's complaints fell on deaf ears as the two monks continued to argue and chase each other.

"Nnnnnoooooo." Raimundo smirked, taunting the Dragon of Fire the same way that she had been taunting him.

Only he did it much worst. He dangled the PDA above her head to the point where it was out of her reach. The two soon began to play a fierce game of Keep Away.

Raimundo laughed at Kimiko as he watched her struggled for the electronic, jerking the object even high and further out of her reach every time she jumped up to grab it, thoroughly ticking her off.

Much to his amusement.

_"Man, Kim couldn't survive for DAY a without one of these_ _things! No, not even __**five minutes**__!" _Raimundo thought, still laughing at Kimiko and her failing attempts to reach her PDA and retrieve it from him.

"Raimundo, give me my PDA!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO."

"YES."

"NO!"

"YES!"

"MAKE ME!"

"DROP IT, OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"DO IT!"

"This is gonna be a _**LONG**_hour ride," Clay groaned. "It's gonna be an even _**longer**_ hour drive." Dojo groaned as well.

**1 Hour Later**** (After Hell erupts and breaks loose on Dojo's back because of a certain PDA system…)**

"_FINALLY_... We _made_ it!" Clay cried, jumping off of Dojo's back and literally began kissing the ground. "I thought Kim and Rai were gonna _argue us to death_!"

"Argue us to death? Oh, no, my friend, that is not good! I am grateful that no one died because of Raimundo and Kimiko's large mouths!" Omi responded.

Clay stood up and stared long and hard at the little yellow monk. "Partner…It's just an expression." Clay finally said.

"An 'expression'? What is this 'expression' that you speak of? What am I trying to express?" Omi asked without a single clue. Kimiko anime fell, sweat dropping.

"...Yeah, we have GOT to get you out of the temple more often, Chrome Dome." Raimundo sighed as she shook his head.

Omi just looked at Raimundo with a look that said, 'Get me out? And why do you keep calling me Chrome Dome? What is this Dome of Chrome you so often speak of?'

"Look! I see something! It looks like a Wu! It has to be the Dragon of Elements!" Kimiko pointed to the top of the mountain as soon as she recovered from her anime fall.

The Dragon of Elements was at the top of that mountain! Without any hesitation, the Xiaolin Dragons began to race for the Dragon of Elements."

"Oh, no you don't! Tangle Web Comb!"

The "web" from Tangle Web Comb hit Clay and wrapped around him, stopping him dead in his tracks. Wuya appeared before the monks, smirking foxily at them before flipping her long crimson hair.

"Clay!" Kimiko stopped to help her fallen comrade. "Orb of Tsunami, Water! Omi shouted, attacking the old witch. The water from Orb of Tsunami surrounded Wuya's feet and turned into solid ice, trapping her in place. However, with little effort, she broke the ice, releasing herself.

"Monkey Strike!"

All of a sudden, the infamous Chase Young jumped into the scene, took Omi by surprise, and viciously kicked him, sending the monk tumbling down the mountain. While Omi, Kimiko, and Clay were locked in combat with Wuya and Chase, Raimundo managed to slip away and head for the Shen Gong Wu.

_"I see it…Almost…There…"_ Raimundo thought, reaching out for the new Shen Gong Wu. At the same moment Raimundo touched the Dragon of Elements, it lit up.

Raimundo looked up to see Crystal touching the other end of the Shen Gong Wu. Raimundo's heart skipped a beat. _"No…Why…Why did __**she **__have to grab it at the same time as me?" _

"Hmmm…Well what do we have here? You know what this means, don't you?" Crystal said to the Xiaolin Apprentice.

"Yeah... It means we're gonna have to go a," Raimundo swallowed hard on the lump in his throat, but it wouldn't go down.

"Xiaolin Showdown." Raimundo finished his sentence, looking the Haylin Apprentice straight into her eyes.

**Me: Hmm, I couldn't really do too much with this one to make it better, but at least it's not quite as bad.**

**Raimundo: F'real.**

**Me: Well, there's chapter six revised, everybody!**

**Raimundo: Read and review please.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: ****Hi Peoples! Sorry about not updating for long! I was grounded for One…Long…Boring…Month…But I'm back and ready to write!**

**Raimundo: (sneers) Typical. What'd ya do this time?**

**Me: …**

**Kimiko: Wow. It's been a month and she's _still _** **won't talk to you.**

**Raimundo: I know that Kimiko! But I don't understand why!**

**Kimiko: Try saying sorry.**

**Raimundo: Why should I? I'm not apologizing to that**

**Kimiko: And that's**** why she won't talk to you, Mr. Insensitive!**

**_Raimundo: (Thinking to himself) Insensitive? What did I do?_**

**Me: Kimiko, please start the chapter for me.**

**Kimiko: (sigh) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story**

Chapter 7: Showdown in the Mountains – Raimundo vs. Crystal

"A Xiaolin Showdown, huh?" Crystal repeated the monk's last words. _"I can't fight her! I just can't!"_ Raimundo thought

_"I do not want to fight him, or anyone for that matter, but I must win the Shen Gong Wu."_ Crystal thought.

"Raimundo, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown." Crystal challenged. "…Alright. Name your game." Raimundo responded.

"Mountain Climbing. Whoever is the first to reach the top and grab the Wu is the winner, I wager my Eye of Dashi against your Sword of the Storm." Crystal informed.

"Fine by me." Raimundo responded.

"Xiaolin Showdown!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and rattle. The mountain grew thousands of feet higher and wider.

"Whoa. That's one heck of a mountain!" Clay whistled. "Indeed my friend, it is." Omi agreed.

"I just hope Rai's not afraid of heights." Kimiko muttered.

"GONG YI TAN PAI!" Raimundo and Crystal chorused, quickly beginning to climb the humongous mountain.

"You seem to know what you're doing. But this is your first showdown, isn't it?" Raimundo asked.

"And your last! Eye of Dashi!" Crystal exclaimed. Raimundo dodged the lightning bolt. "Hey! That's playing dirty! I didn't attack you!" Raimundo complained.

"Technically, it's not." I'm just doing what I have to do in order to win this showdown. See ya at the finish line. Eye of Dashi!"

Crystal send another lightning bolt towards Raimundo, making it hit the rock in front of him and cause him to fall off of the large mountain.

"AHHH! Sword of the Storm, Wind!" Raimundo screeched, using the sword to help him fly.

Raimundo, with the help of Sword of the Storm, flew beside of Crystal. "As you were saying? Who's gonna see who at the finish line?" Raimundo taunted, rocketing off.

_"There's no way I'm gonna lose to the likes of him!"_ Crystal thought determinedly._ "Please forgive me Chase-sama."_

"Hey Raimundo!" Crystal called to the Brazilian. "Check this out!" Crystal flew past the Xiaolin Warrior without any Wu assisting her.

"WHAT??? She can fly???" Clay exclaimed. "Isn't that cheating?!" Kimiko asked Dojo, who pulled out the official rules book.

Dojo scanned through the official rules book before shrugging. "I dunno. I doesn't say so in the official rules book."

_"Wow. She's fast."_ Raimundo thought. _"She hasn't lost her touch, I see." "_So what if you can fly without a Shen Gong Wu? Big Deal. I'm still gonna beat you!" Raimundo retorted.

"Oh yeah? I'll make you eat those words! Fire Barrage!" Crystal shouted. Raimundo ditched the Sword of the Storm and jumped.

He did want to stay alive, after all. And besides, he landed on the mountain, which meant he hasn't lost the battle just yet.

Raimundo was at the top of the mountain.

And so was Crystal.

"Almost…Got it…" Raimundo raced towards the new Shen Gong Wu. "Eye of Dashi!" Crystal boomed, hitting the "ground" in front of Raimundo and causing him to fall backwards off the cliff.

Fortunately, Raimundo caught an edge of the mountain and stopped himself from falling.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a Shen Gong Wu to help him and he couldn't hold on forever.

"Hmmm…Should I help him?" Crystal taunted aloud, pretending to be thinking really hard about the matter.

"YES!" Raimundo cried. "I'm…slipping!"

She knew just as well as Raimundo did that he could not hold on forever. That in a matter of seconds, he'd fall.

And lose the Showdown, making her the winner

_"Why do I feel as though I need to help him? I mean, it's just a showdown. If he falls, he won't really be hurt. Not too much at least."_ Crystal began to think.

_"But…Something's telling me to help him. My conscience maybe? I can't tell. Something inside of me feels compassion for him. It's almost as if he's a lost memory to me."_

_"But if that is so…Then there's something I don't want to remember…"_

"Well quit whining about it and take my hand!" Crystal held her hand out to Raimundo, deciding to help him this once

_"Next time, I will let him fall. I will not help him again."_ Crystal vowed. She had a mission and helping Raimundo was not it.

"Guys, look!" Kimiko pointed to the mountain. "She's…she's helping Rai!" "Now why in the world would she do that?" Clay wondered aloud.

_"Why is she helping me? Doesn't she want to get the She Gong Wu?"_ Raimundo pondered_. "Or is she worried about me falling?"_

_"_Thanks." Raimundo smirked as he took Crystal's hand. Raimundo pulled on Crystal's hand and caused her to fall off of the cliff.

Crystal ended up in Raimundo's previous position while he climbed back onto the mountain.

"Ohhhh! Raimundo Pedrosa! Just you wait until I catch you!" Crystal reached out to Raimundo.

But instead of pulling Raimundo down…

She ended up snatching something from around his neck…

**(No, it's not**** the medallion that he always wears!**** Come on! You guys know**** better than to think I'd ever**** make it that easy on you to figure things out**

"Got it!" Raimundo picked up the medallion Shen Gong Wu because of it, everything turned back to normal.

"Go Rai!" You did it!" Kimiko cheered as Raimundo walked back to her and his other fellow monks with the Eye of Dashi, Sword of the Storm, and the Dragon of Elements in his hands.

"Oh come now. Did you really think I would lose to an amateur?" Raimundo responded. "Crystal." Chase growled.

"Y-Y-Yes Chase-sama?" Crystal stammered. "Come. We are leaving. I have matters to discuss with you when we return to my palace." Chase turned and left, sending a shiver down Crystal's spine.

"Hey, girl." Kimiko called to Crystal. "How come you can fly without a Shen Gong Wu? And what about that fire attack? Are you a Dragon of Fire too?"

"My name is not girl. My name is Crystal. Remember it. And I owe you no explanation." Crystal retorted, vanishing into thin air.

_"…That, is one creepy girl."_ Kimiko thought.

**Me: And there you go! Chapter 7, complete!**

**Raimundo: Still givin' me the silent treatment, huh?**

**Me: …**

**Raimundo: (sighs in irritation) Thought as much.**

**Kimiko: Rai, all you have to do is say sorry.**

**Raimundo: For what?**

**Kimiko: Well gee, maybe for insulting both her and her story EVERY pasting day. But other than that, there's no reason that you should apologize. (rolls eyes) No reason at all.**

**Raimundo: Exactly. I have no reason at all to apologize to her.**

**Kimiko: (sighs) You're down right hopeless Raimundo Pedrosa, you know that?**

**Raimundo: (mocks Kimiko) And you're down right annoying Kimiko Tohomiko, you know that?**

**Kimiko: …**

**Raimundo: Not you too Kimiko!**

**Kimiko: …**

**Raimundo: Say something!**

**Kimiko: …**

**Raimundo: Kimiko,**

**Kimiko: …**

**Raimundo: KIMIKO.**

**Kimiko: …**

**Raimundo: KIMIKO!**

**Kimiko: …**

**Raimundo: ARGH! Fine, you win! I'll apologize to EGP! **

**Kimiko: I knew you'd see it my way.**

**Raimundo: Okay look, EGP, I'm Sor-sor-sor-**

**Kimiko: (baby-talks Raimundo) Come on Raimundo, you can do it! It's not that hard. All you have to do is say 'sorry'!**

**Raimundo: Okay I'm sorry!**

**Me: ****…Thank you Rai-rai!**

**Raimundo: (gasp) She spoke! The authoress spoke! It's a miracle! I missed her annoying voice!**

**Me: Well if it's that annoying to you, then maybe I should just stop talking again.**

**Raimundo: No, no. no! That's unnecessary! Really! Come on EGP! Let's not do anything rash now!**

**Me: (rolls eyes) Whatever. Read and review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: Hi everyone! Another update!**

**Raimundo:**** You know, it's only been an hour and a half, and already, I'm tired of hearing this girl speak. Remind**** me why I missed hearing her annoying voice?**

**Kimiko:**** Perhaps it's because really you like talking to her because she's fun but she was ignoring you and refused to speak to you or even have eye contact with you for the past month, and you forgot what her voice sounded like, so you wanted to get her to talk again?**

**Raimundo: …No, I'm pretty sure that ain't it. **

**Me: Well I didn't miss not hearing your insults not one little bit!**

**Raimundo: Who asked you?**

**Me: WHO ASKED YOU!**

**Raimundo: None of your business! That's who!**

**Me: Then it's none of your business who asked me!**

**Raimundo: Well sor-ry for askin'!**

**Me: Yeah, you'd better be sorry!**

**Raimundo: I'm not!**

**Me: Good, cause I'm not either!**

**Raimundo: Loser!**

**Me: Dork!**

**Raimun****do: ****Geek!**

**Me: Nerd!**

**Raimundo: Monster!**

**Me: Beast!**

**Raimundo: Rascal!**

**Me: Scoundrel! **

**Kimiko: (sighs) Can't you just feel the love in the air? Well, since EGP and Rai are busy arguing for no reason at all, I guess I'll start the chapter.**

**Raimundo: Ugly!**

**Me: Repulsive! And you take that back right now you scrawny little weakling!**

**Raimundo: I could kick your butt any day!**

**Me: Prove it!**

**Raimundo: Sword of the – **

**Me: No cheating you scandalous little boy!**

**Raimundo: Scandalous? Take that back!**

**Me: Not until you take what you said back! You **_**KNOW **_**I'm not ugly! You're just jealous! I'm pretty than you'll **_**EVER**_** be!**** Hater! **

**Raimundo: ****Yeah right! Compared to what, hideous beast?**

**Me: ****Just what are you accusing me of**** being?**

**Raimundo: Oh I don't know, a loser, an amateur, a rascal, a monster, and a geek! Should I continue down my long list?**

**Me: HOW DARE**** YOU CALL ME THAT YOU LITTE – **

**Kimiko: LANGUAGE PLEASE!**

**Me: Oh yeah. Ooops! Sor-ry!**

**Raimundo: You're not allowed to say bad things because of the rating of this story, you little delinquent!**

**Me: I bet you don't even know the meaning of that word! Or half of the other words I called you!**

**Raimundo: …So what if I don't? I know they can't be good, since they came out of your mouth! **

**Me: And just what's that suppose to mean?**

**Kimiko: NO MORE ARGUING! SAVE IT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! YOU'RE MAKING THE A/N NOTES TOO LONG! Idiots! ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story.**

Chapter 8: Secrets – Part One

"You know, Chase is probably furious with you right now." Wuya started up a conversation with Crystal.

The two were walking back to Chase's palace. They were at least 10 minutes away. "Yes Wuya-chan, I know, but I…I didn't mean to. Honestly." Crystal began to apologize.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Chase. He's the one disappointed with you, not me." Wuya replied, leaving Crystal behind and walking ahead.

_"Oh Chase-sama…I am so sorry. I was a fool to use my forbidden powers during that showdown. I just hope they aren't suspecting anything…"_ Crystal thought.

"Or else…Chase-sama's plan will be ruined and he'll…" Crystal couldn't bare to finish that thought without a _MAJOR_ shudder being send down her spine.

"At least I didn't give away too much. Then I'd _REALLY_ be in trouble with Chase-sama!"

---------------------------------------------------------

"Crystal." Chase growled as Crystal walked through the door. "Y-Yes Chase-sama?" Crystal stuttered.

"You disobeyed me." Chase began. "You disobeyed my direct orders _not_ to use you powers and did as you please."

"I'm so sorry Chase-sama. I just was trying to make the showdown look convincing and win." Crystal apologized.

"You could've done that without the usage of your powers!" Chase snapped. "And you're always sorry! Crystal, I'm sick of you and your apologizes!"

"This showdown had a purpose Crystal. And that purpose was to make sure the Xiaolin Warriors were not on to you." Chase walked up to Crystal.

Fearing for her life, Crystal took a few shaky steps back. Chase grabbed a handful of Crystal's long silky black hair and roughly pulled her towards him so that they were looking each other straight in the eyes.

"You pretty much blew your cover today." Chase growled, glaring madly at Crystal. "Please Chase-sama, don't hurt me. I'm so sorry." Crystal whimpered.

Chase scoffed and pushed Crystal away, releasing her hair. "You disgust me! You are such an useless idiot! Can't you do anything right?!"

Along with that angry statement, Chase slapped Crystal across her face, striking her right cheek hard with his hand.

"Chase, don't you think you're being unfair to her?" Wuya stepped in to stop Chase from doing anything else that might hurt Crystal.

"I have the authority to do as I please to her! Butt out Wuya! Or you will suffer the consequences along with her!" Chase hissed.

"Leave my sight! I cannot bare to see you any longer." Chase ordered Crystal to leave.

With tear-filled eyes, Crystal ran out of the room and into hers, slamming the door behind her.

"Chase, why did you hit her? Don't you think punishing her was a bit too…unnecessary?" Wuya inquired.

Chase simply snorted and turned to face Wuya. "I am being hard on her because O know she's a strong girl and she can handle it. She must learn not to use her powers." Chase replied, leaving the room.

_"Or at least, not yet. We don't want the Xiaolin Warriors to figure her out just yet. Especially not Raimundo Pedrosa."_

**Me:**** TA-DA! Chappie number 8!**

**Raimundo: Is as stupid as you are.**

**Me: See, why you always gotta start with me Rai-rai? I didn't even say nothin' to you. Is this how you entertain yourself?**

**Raimundo: Actually, yes. It's a hobby, I guess you could say.**

**Me: (growls) Well then find a new one.**

**Raimundo: But this one is much more fun. Stupid.**

**Me: Idiot.**

**Raimundo: Moron.**

**Me: Dim-wit.**

**Raimundo: Dumbbell. **

**Me: Imbecile.**

**Raimundo: Primate!**

**Me: Neanderthal!**

**Raimundo: ****Prehistoric hag**

**Me: Ancient old brute!**** And take that back! I'm a young teenager!**

**Raimundo: That may be so, but I can call you whatever I want!**

**Kimiko: Enough with the insults! Can't you guys get along?**

**Me: Yeah, before Raimundo started insulting me.**

**Kimiko: Raimundo, don't you have something better to do?**

**Raimundo: Nope. I'm stuck with you two brats.**

**Kimiko: Hey, if anyone's being a brat, it's you!**

**Raimundo: Whatever. Listen, it's getting late, so I'm gonna hit the hay. Can we finish this argument tomorrow?**

**Me/Kimiko: Yeah, sure. 'Kay. Whatever.**

**Raimundo: Read and review please.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Me: Welcome, to another chapter of my nice little**** story!**

**Raimundo: Nice and boring.**

**Me: Ohhh Raimundo, (Has a brilliant idea and calms down) How can you say things like that? You're one of the main characters, making you a star!**

**Raimundo: (thinks over EGP's last words) You know…I never really thought about it that way…but…You're right! I'm a star! You couldn't do this story without me! I play one of the most important roles!**

**Kimiko: …I hate to admit it, but (makes a disgusted face) He's right.**

**Me: **_**RAIMUNDO'S **_**right?**

**Raimundo: (smiles a superior smile) Yep, I am!**

**Me: Wow. What they say it true. There really is a first for everything.**

**Kimiko: Yeah, Raimundo's right. That's a first.**

**Raimundo: Ya'll are just jealous that I'm important and you're not!**

**Me: Actually, I'm even more important than you and Crystal. I'm the authoress. Without me, this story wouldn't exist. Neither would Crystal.**

**Raimundo: …Point taken.**

**Kimiko: Wow, do you wanna know what I just realized?**

**Raimundo: Not really.**

**Kimiko: We've been talking for at least 5 minutes now and we still haven't argued with each other!**

**Raimundo: Now **_**THAT'S**_** a first!**

**Me: You said it!**

**Raimundo: Ooo, it's my turn to start the chapter! Since I'm so important and all. (Says to himself**** while standing in front of a large mirror****) Raimundo, Raimundo, Raimundo. You have ****looks, strength, brains, and fame. Yep, I've got it all.**

**Me: Go right on ahead. As long as you stop adoring yourself and acting like we don't exist, you have my permission to start the chapter.**

**Raimundo: 'Kay, ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story. But she wishes she owned this handsome young man right here!**

**Me: Ooo, are you talking about Sesshomaru? Oh heck yeah I wished I owned him! (swoons) He's so hot and sexy…And strong...**

**Raimundo: No, I'm not talking about the man of your dreams.**

**Me: You may refer to him as my Sexy Sesshy Demon Prince. **

**Raimundo: …Uhh, no.**

**Me: Or you could just call him my Demon Prince! Excuse me, I must now swoon over hot and sexy pictures of a shirtless Sesshomaru in my Sesshy Album! (runs to her room and pulls out her precious Sesshy Album)**

**Raimundo: …Girls are weird.**

**Kimiko: Correction, **_**that**_** girl is weird.**

Chapter 9: Secrets – Part Two

Crystal buried her face into her pillow and began to cry. Not because Chase had struck her, even though it _**REALLY**_ hurt and she had lost all feeling in her right cheek.

She was crying because Chase was right.

And she knew it.

_"Chase-sama is so right! I'm a useless idiot! I can't do anything right!"_ Crystal began to think.

_"I always do something wrong! I am a disgrace to the good Haylin name! What kind of warrior am I?"_

_"I'm almost as bad as Jack! I can't even manage to win a stupid showdown! I'm a failure!"_

_"I must be a burden to poor Chase-sama…All I ever do is get in his way…Not once have I been able to repay him…Maybe I should just go home…"_

"If I had a home." Crystal sighed. "Chase-sama would be much better off without me hanging around and be a nuisance to him."

"Stop pitying yourself."

Crystal quickly sat up and saw that it was Chase. Crystal was frozen with terror. _"Has he come back to hit me and yell at me some more?__" _Crystal wondered.

_"Well it is not like I can blame him, if that's what he came to do. I am a waste of his time."_

Chase sat down on the edge of Crystal's bed. "Wipe those tears away. Stop pitying yourself. True Haylin Warriors do not cry."

"I'm not a Haylin Warrior, I'm a Haylin amateur." Crystal murmured. "No, that's an understatement. I'm a worthless, useless, idiot."

"No you are not. I order you to stop talking such ridiculous nonsense! You are a very smart and very beautiful young warrior." Chase began.

"I am sorry that I hit you Crystal/ I was furious with you. But I had no excuse to strike you like that. You did not deserve it."

"You made a mistake. We all do. No one's perfect. But I fully expect for you to try and surpass as so. We are in the middle of a war and you need to remain safe. No carelessness can be allowed nor tolerated."

"But I lost the showdown Chase-sama. The Xiaolin Dragons now have the Dragon of Elements." Crystal reminded her master.

"It was your first showdown. I was very proud of you. You have the potential and determination to win of a Haylin, I will give you that." Chase replied.

"Crystal, once many years ago, I myself was a Xiaolin Dragon. I know how strong the can or could be. A new generation, yes, but same power and techniques. Same powers, different beholders."

"But what if they become suspicious?" Crystal asked. "You made two mistakes. One was the fire. They noticed that." Chase started.

"But the other one will take a bit of time for one of the smarter dragons to figure out. Eventually. I assure you, this won't mess with my plans. And besides," Chase smirked.

"It was all part of my plan for you to lose the showdown." "Really? You planned it? I'm not a burden to you? I'm not a worthless, useless, idiotic failure? And you're not better off without me?" Crystal questioned Chase.

"How could you ever think such ridiculous thoughts? You are my apprentice. You are truly a Haylin. You have Haylin blood running through your veins Crystal. You could _never_ disgrace me or the Haylin name." Chase responded.

"Oh Chase-sama, thank you!" Crystal jumped up and hugged Chase. "No, no, and no! I don't do hugs Crystal! I've gotta draw the line somewhere, and I choose to draw it here!" Chase exclaimed.

Crystal was too happy to hear her protesting master. Chase sighed and returned Crystal's hug.

"Only this _once_. Never again, understand?" Chase demanded. The truth was, Chase longed to do this.

He wanted to hug Crystal ever so tightly and never let her go. He had never had the chance to do this years ago.

_"__She can__'__t remember a __thing. And even if her memory was restored, she'd never know who I really am to her. Because she had never seen me before in her life."_ Chase thought.

_"But I saw her. Ever so often. I__ silently watched over her in secret from the shadows whenever I got the chance."_

_"But I knew better than to ever interact with her. My duty is to protect her. But in secret. She can never know who I really am to her."_

"Oh yes Chase-sama, I'll never do it again. Promise." Crystal swore, snapping Chase back into reality.

"Now, wipe away your tears and enjoy yourself while you can. I have big plans for you later." And with that, Chase left the room.

Wuya had witnessed the whole thing and she was speechless. She had _never _seen this side of Chase before.

Wuya watched Chase in aghast. _"Did he really just apologize? Chase Young? And unless my eyes are deceiving me…Did he just __**HUG **__her???"_ Wuya thought.

_"Chase, what has this mortal girl done to you? Are you going soft? I thought you both were suppose to be ice cold…"_ Wuya trailed off.

_"Unless the two of you share a special relationship! Oh yeah Chase, I'm on to you. What is your relationship with Crystal? And why does Raimundo seem to share a relationship with Crystal?"_

_"What is the bond connecting Chase to Crystal and Crystal to Raimundo? One of the days, I __**will**__ find out the truth."_ Wuya thought as she left the area.

**Me: End of chapter 9.**

**Kimiko: This was Secrets, part two.**

**Raimundo: You guys should really tune in for chapter 10, part three of Secrets. Things are really getting interesting!**

**Me: It's funny how a single compliment can change a person's perceptive of things.**

**Raimundo: EGP, am I – **

**ME: (sigh) Yes Raimundo, you're in the next chapter.**

**Raimundo: YES! BOO-YAH!**

**Kimiko: Ow. You didn't have to scream**** that**** in my ear**

**Raimundo: But it's fun to scream in your ear. Can I do it again?**

**Kimiko: No.**

**Me: So many unanswered questions, so little time before I fall asleep…What's Chase's relation to Crystal? What's Raimundo's relation to Crystal? Just what is Chase's plan?**

**Kimiko: And juts why do I smell disaster all over our new Shen Gong Wu, the Dragon of Elements?**

**Me: That one too! Oh man, the tension and suspicion is up! **

**Raimundo: No, I think that's just you. Most of us here are too sleepy to care. Man, it's 3:49 in the morning! I can't believe you talked me into staying up for one more chapter!**

**Me: I promise this one was the last one for today. We can all go to sleep now.**

**Kimiko: YES! BED! BEAUTIFUL BED! (jumps into bed) I love you bed…Oh god, this is HEA-VEN!**

**Me: Well dang, you act like you've never slept before.**

**Raimundo: That's because she can't ever sleep with your big mouth runnin'.**

**Me: (rolls eyes) I'm too sleepy to argue with you. 'Night Rai-rai. Read and review please.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Me****: Welcome everyone, to the moment we have all been waiting for!**

**Raimundo: I chapter with me in it?**

**Me: NO, Chapter 10 part three of my story!**

**Raimundo: …Mostly me.**

**Crystal: You know, First we're gonna be talking about me.**

**Raimundo: AW MAN! Why does Crystal get all of the fun???**

**Kimiko: Relax Rai, EGP says we'll be in every chapter for the rest of the story.**

**Raimundo: YAY!**

**Me: (smirk) But I might change my mind…**

**Raimundo: NO! DON'T!**

**Me: …I'll do it.**

**Raimundo: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!**

**Me: Okay jeez Raimundo! I won't do it! There! Are you happy now?**

**Raimundo: YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Crystal: …O.o…**

**Kimiko: …ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story.**

Chapter 10: Secrets – Part Two

_"Chase-sama actually has a soft side for me…That's a relief."_ Crystal thought, happy that her master had accepted her.

_"I have a 'family' and a 'home', thanks to Chase-sama and Wuya-chan. And I am not starved to death. I should be most grateful."_ Crystal thought.

_" But…what is this empty __feeling? I feel like…like something's missing…But I don't know what …"_

Then Crystal remembered Raimundo, Kimiko, Clay, and Omi. _"That's what I'm missing. Friends. And most of all…A best friend…"_

"Oh brother! I am a Haylin Apprentice! I do _not_ have time for friends, nonetheless a best friend! Besides, I've got all the friends I will ever need right here anyway, Chase-sama and Wuya-chan!" Crystal reminded herself.

Crystal rolled over to her side and felt that she had rolled over onto something in her hip pocket.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot. I accidently snatched this from around Raimundo's neck during the showdown." Crystal reminded the object in her pocket and pulled it out.

She could _not_ believe her eyes.

The object was half of a golden heart-shaped locket! And on the inside…was a picture of her!

_"This…This belongs to Raimundo…Yet there's a pic__ture of me inside…From when I was 9!"_ Crystal thought in bewilderment. _"And I'm 14 now!"_

_"Oh god, does this mean what I think it means? Do I…know Raimundo Pedrosa???"_ Crystal nearly shouted.

Luckily, no one heard her.

Did Crystal really know Raimundo? It made sense to her. That would explain no matter how hard she tried, she could never erase her face from her mind.

**(That was the one thing Chase couldn't erase from Crystal's memory. Raimundo's face. I wonder why…)**

Crystal walked over to her dresser, picked up her half of a locket, and put it together with Raimundo's half a of a locket.

Perfect fit.

The locket was a whole once again.

Crystal stared at the pictures inside. Her picture was in the left half of the locket and Raimundo's was on the right.

"Oh Rai-rai…Wait a minute…DID I JUST CALL RAIMUNDO RAI-RAI??? GREAT CHOST OF DASHI, WHY THE HECK DID I DO THAT???"

**Change in POV**

Raimundo laid back on bed. He put his hands behind his head, and his emerald green eyes wondered up to the ceiling.

"She has my locket piece." Raimundo whispered, feeling his neck. _"Maybe it's enough for her to remember us."_ Raimundo thought hopefully.

Suddenly, Raimundo's door busted open. Raimundo jolted up and saw that in his doorway were three people.

Kimiko Tohomiko, Clay Bailey, and Omi.

To be precise.

"Oh. It's you guys. Hey. What do you want?" Raimundo asked. "Okay Rai, the gig is up." Kimiko closed the door behind herself, Clay, and Omi.

Clay and Omi grabbed Raimundo's arms. "Hey! What's the big idea?" Raimundo struggled to get out of Clay and Omi's iron.

"Rai, ever since that Crystal girl came into the picture, you've been acting strange. strange." Kimiko began as she walked up to Raimundo.

"We know you have something to do with this Crystal girl, and we _refuse_ to leave until you tell us." Kimiko informed the Dragon of Wind.

"Let me go." Raimundo ordered. "No can do partner. Not until you tell us what's going on." Clay responded.

"You didn't let me finish. Let me go, and I'll tell you." Raimundo jerked away from Clay and Omi.

"See my friends? There is no need to use unnecessary force on our dear friend Raimundo." Omi smiled his superior smile while Kimiko rolled her eyes.

"You didn't let me finish either Omi. Let me go and I'll tell you." Raimundo stood up with a grin.

"In a million years."

Raimundo rocketed off and began to run at the speed of light, thanks to the help of his Wind element.

Clay pulled out his rope and began to lasso it. "We've got a runner!" Clay ran after Raimundo along with Kimiko and Omi.

"Raimundo, tell us why you've been acting so strange!" Kimiko yelled after the Brazilian monk as she chased him.

"Never! It's none of your business!" Raimundo yelled back.

"So you admit you have a relation with Crystal! What is it?" Clay demanded. "I never said that! And no I don't!" Raimundo insisted.

"Yes you do Rai! Stop trying to keep her a secret from us! Just tell us Raimundo! Please!" Kimiko cried.

"no! I can't! It'll put her life at danger if anyone finds out the truth!" Raimundo shouted back.

"What truth is there to hide?" A familiar voice inquired.

It was Master Fung.

"Uh-oh. Master Fung." Raimundo stopped in front of his sensei. "Gotcha!" Clay threw his lasso rope at Raimundo and caught him, tying the young warrior up.

"Lemme go Clay!" Raimundo blared_. "He won't tell us about Crystal because it would put her life in danger?" _Kimiko thought.

_"She's so important to him that he's willing to keep her a secret from everyone including the people he knows and trusts?"_

_"Even from his best friends? Just what does she mean to him?"_ Kimiko mused.

"Master Fung, Raimundo has a connection to Chase's new apprentice Crystal and he won't tell us." Clay informed his sensei.

"I see. Raimundo, do you mind to explain yourself?" Master Fung narrowed his eyes at the Brazilian.

"Actually Master Fung…yes. I do. I can't afford to lose her." Raimundo replied. "Not again."

Kimiko slightly gasped.

Those words…They made her feel uneasy. Discontent. Sadness. Discomfort

_"He has to keep her safe? But why? And he can't afford to lose her?"_ Kimiko thought.

_"Why does he make it sound so…affectionate? Heck, why do I even care?"_ Kimiko pondered.

"Raimundo, don't you trust us?" Kimiko asked. "Agreed Raimundo. Do you not trust your fellow monks?" Master Fung inquired.

"Whatever it is about this girl that you feel you must protect, they _will_ help you protect. But they cannot help if you do not tell them." Master Fung reasoned.

"Oh yes my friend! We are _more_ than willing to help you!" Omi exclaimed. "We're friends Raimundo, and friends stick together." Clay told Raimundo, untying him.

"…Okay. I know that I can trust you guys. But we have to go somewhere much more private than here." Raimundo walked down the hall towards the main room with his fellow monks behind him.

"You not coming Master Fung?" Kimiko asked. "No. I trust that you 4 can work this out."

And with that, Master Fung left and returned to his room.

Once the four friends entered the main room, Raimundo closed the door behind them.

Clay, Omi, Kimiko and Raimundo sat down in the center of the room forming a circle.

"Okay, so what exactly do you guys want to know?" Raimundo inquired. "Everything." Kimiko answered. "Starting with your connection to Crystal."

"Alright, well…you see…Crystal and I…we're…she's my…" Raimundo hesitated before telling his fellow monks the truth.

**Me: Cliffy!**

**Raimundo: (rolls eyes) Naturally. You always leave us hangin'**

**Crystal: I agreed with Raimundo for once. AND WHY THE HECK DID YOU MAKE ME CALL HIM RAI-RAI?**

**Kimiko: WHY THE HECK DID YOU MAKE ME SEEM UPSET WHEN IT SOUNDED LIKE RAIMUNDO LOVED CRYSTAL?**

**Me: …Okay Raimundo, Nuh-huh, I do **** always leave you hangin'! Besides in the next chapter, I have no choice be to make you tell everyone your connection to Crystal. You do know what it is, right?**

**Raimundo: …**

**Kimiko: This is sad. He doesn't even know his own connection to a girl. What a shame. **

**Crystal: Yeah, Bad Raimundo!**

**Me: Crystal, I made you call Raimundo Rai-rai because…well…I can't tell you.**

**Crystal: Why not?**

**Me: Because it would spoil the next chapter. You'll have to wait until then.**

**Crystal: (sighs) Okay… **

**Me: And Kimiko, well, can't you figure that out on your own?**

**Kimiko: What do you mean by that?**

**Me: Oh, you'll see. You'll all see. (smirk)**

**Raimundo/Crystal/Kimiko: …(long pause)...SHE'S CRAZY! EGP, WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO???**

**Me: You'll see. In a VERY long time. MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!**

**Raimundo: …You're evil.**

**Kimiko: And insane.**

**Crystal: Don't forget weird.**

**Me: I know. Thanks for the compliments! I'm weird, insane, and to you guys, evil, and proud of it!**

**Raimundo: …Those weren't compliments. And they're not something to be proud of.**

**Crystal: Read and review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: Hola amigos!**

**Raimundo: What, are you Spanish now?**

**Me: ****, but I know a bit of Spanish! And Japanese! (smiles a bright and superior smile)**

**Raimundo: (slaps forehead and groans) Never mind. Forget I said anything.**

**Kimiko: Don't worry, we will Rai. We will.**

**Me: The truth finally shall be revealed! Who is Crystal? What is her bond to Raimundo? How does she – **

**Crystal: Alright! Quit tellin' all my personal business!**

**Raimundo: Besides, no one cares.**

**Crystal: (places her hands on her hips) And just what is that suppose to mean, Pedrosa?**

**Raimundo: Nothing. Except the fact that no one really cares about you. They all care about ME! (pulls out a mirror and admires himself) Ah yes. They care all about me. Beautiful, beautiful me.**

**Crystal: (playfully punches Raimundo in his arm and laughs) You're a mess. Could you stop thinking about yourself for a minute and start the chapter?**

**Me: Hey Kimiko, you've been kinda quiet. What's wrong? You don't look pleased.**

**Kimiko: Hn? Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong.**

**Crystal: ****…(****whispers to Raimundo) She is ly-in'!**

**Raimundo: (whispers back to Crystal) Yeah, I know. She's kinda been like that since the last chapter****. I wonder why though…**

**Me: …****! I know why! She's upset cause you – **

**Kimiko: Crystal, would you start the chapter. Please?**

**Crystal: (Thinks to herself) That didn't sound too nice. I get the feeling she doesn't like me. Or the role I play in this story, for that matter. (Turns to Kimiko) Uh, I'd love to Kimiko, but why don't we let Rai do it?**

**Raimundo: Yeah Kim, let a real man do it.**

**Crystal: HEY! Are you suggesting I'm a man?**

**Raimundo: A fake man.**

**Crystal: Raimundo Pedrosa, you'd better start this chapter before I send you to the hospital **

**Raimundo: Ouch! Why you got to be so violent Crys? ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but a furious Crystal and this story.**

**Me: …You know…I barely got to say anything…And these are ****author notes!**

**Raimundo: You should be ashamed of yourself for letting your main characters ambush your author notes!**

**Me: Shut up Raimundo. And it wasn't a main character ambush, it was an adolescent ambush. Stupid teenage characters.**

**Crystal: Hey! You can't talk to us that way! We're older than you!**

**Me: By 2 years, Crystal! Now shut up so the chapter can begin!**

**Crystal: …Rudeness.**

Chapter 11: Confessions – Part One (Yeah, I've been in the part zones lately)

"She's your what?" Kimiko demanded, hoping that Raimundo wasn't about to say what she thought he was gonna say.

_"Please don't let him say she's he's girlfriend, please don't let him say she's his girlfriend, please don't let him say she's his girlfriend."_ Kimiko thought over and over again.

**(Apparently, Kimiko's thoughts are now a broken record)**

"She's my first, and by far best, best friend." Raimundo finally answered. Kimiko let out a sigh of relief, only to be eyed confusingly by Raimundo.

"So you guys are just friends? Alrighty then. Continue with the story Rai." Clay ordered.

"Oh yes, like how did you meet this _very_ pretty friend of yours?" Omi asked. "Well, it was a _long_ time ago…10 years to be exact." Raimundo began to tell the story.

"Crystal came to Rio de Janiero with her sickly mother." Raimundo started, but was interrupted by Omi asking, "What happened to her father?"

"Crystal told me that her mom told her that her father died the day she was born. Crystal always asked how, but her mother, Janie, never liked to talk about her father." Raimundo answered.

"Anyway, like I was saying, one day, when I was just 5 years old, Crystal and Janie moved in and lived right beside of me and my family."

"She was my new neighbor. But from the moment I laid eyes on her, I could tell there was something different about her. Something…strange…" Raimundo trailed off.

"Can't blame ya partner, Crystal probably was a hottie even back then." Clay winked. _"He's missing the point."_ Kimiko sweat dropped.

"Yeah…She was pretty cute…" Raimundo slightly blushed. Kimiko rolled her eyes. "On with the story please!" Kimiko shouted, not wanting to listen to anymore of Clay and Raimundo's "guy talk".

"Oh, yeah, right!' Raimundo started up the story again. "Anyways, later that day, my mom and I went over to their house to introduce ourselves. Mom always tries to make friends with the neighbors."

"Even though Janie looked pretty weak and ill, she seemed to be a nice and kind person. And she wasn't quiet at – she and mom talked the _WHOLE _time!"

"But Crystal was like the exact opposite of her talkative mother…She was so shy…And her aura…She was kind and warm and polite, but something about her just seemed so…sad…" Raimundo trailed off.

"So I guess that's why I was so interested in her. She was so different from everyone else in Rio de Janiero. And from that day on, I kept a very close eye on her."

"In other words, you were stalking her." Kimiko said bluntly. "I was not!" Raimundo insisted.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm. A five year old stalker. That's a shame." Kimiko ignored Raimundo insisting.

"I told you Kimiko…I DIDN'T STALK HER!!! I just watched her every move from a very far distance." Raimundo replied.

"That's basically the same thing stupid." Kimiko retorted. "But one day…She caught me. Red handed." Raimundo ignored Kimiko and continued his story.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. The date was September 15th, 1997. The time was 2:45 in the afternoon. The place was in near the park, under the Cherry Trees…"

**(Okay, I know, when you think of Cherry Trees, you think of Sakura Trees, which are the same thing, which are in Japan and not in Rio de Janiero, but so that it makes ****at least some ****sense…Let's say those trees were shipped from Japan and planted near a park in Rio de Janiero to make the appearance ****near the park ****even prettier, 'Kay? Alright.)**

**Beginning of Flashback**** (10 years ago)**

_"She's all alone under the Cherry Trees…Again…Doesn't she have any friends__ at all__?" _Raimundo wondered.

He was watching his next door neighbor Crystal from behind a bush not too far away from the Cherry Trees.

It had been 2 months since Crystal, his mysterious female neighbor, had moved to Rio de Janiero and for the past 2 months, Raimundo had been watching her.

He has learned that every day at 2:45, she came to these Cherry Trees. He has also learned that she isn't too popular around school.

Trust him on this one, she's in his kindergarten class! And yet, he still watches her.

To learn as much as he can about this mysterious neighbor girl of his.

_"I'm starting to think girls are just plain out weird. But then again…She's not like all the other girls at school…"_ Raimundo thought.

"Raimundo, I know you're there. How long do you plan on spying on me?" Crystal called out.

"You know I've been spying on you?" Raimundo blushed.

"Yes, I do. You have a _very_ odd and kinda creepy way to make a first impression on a neighbor. Are you a stalker, or are you just an idiot?" Crystal taunted Raimundo.

"You know, you act too grown to be 4 years old. And you talk too grown too. What kind of 4 year old knows just about every big word in the world and reads the dictionary like it's some type of funny comics book?" Raimundo walked over to Crystal.

"Are you sure you're not an alien in disguise?" Raimundo asked, sitting down beside of his neighbor.

"I just have to be smart and do the absolute best that I can. You wouldn't understand." Crystal replied.

"Well maybe if you would tell me, I would un-der-stand." Raimundo retorted, slowing saying the word understand to make sure he was saying it right.

"My Mommy is very sick Raimundo. She can't take care of herself, nonetheless me. So I have to be a grown up and take care of us both." Crystal informed.

_"What kind of 4 year old uses the word none-the-less?"_ Raimundo wondered. _"I wonder if she can spell it too…It must be __one heck of a__ hard word to spell!"_

"What about your Daddy?" Raimundo informed. "…My Mommy says he died the day I was born." Crystal answered sadly.

"Oh…I'm sorry."" Raimundo apologized. _"It must be hard on her to live like that. Sickly Mommy, Dead Daddy...She never even got to see __or say anything to __him before he…"_

"It's okay Raimundo. You didn't know." Crystal responded.

"So…Why _do_ you come out here anyway?"

"I come out here because…because my Mommy says that my Daddy liked to stare at Cherry Trees just like I do." Crystal looked up at the Cherry Trees above her.

"They say staring at Cherry Trees for too long makes you crazy…But you would have to be crazy to _not_ stare at them." Crystal began

"They're so pretty…And it's so calm…How can you _not _stare? Raimundo…Do you want to know something about my Daddy?"

Raimundo shrugged. "Sure. As long as you're willing to talk about him."

"My Daddy…He died this exact time. At 2:45 in the afternoon. So the reason I come here every day at 2:45 is because…My Daddy liked do this when he was alive. And I want to be just like him."

"How do you know what he was like?" Raimundo inquired.

"I don't. But once, my Mommy said that my Daddy was a strong, kind, smart, and powerful man. So I'm gonna be just like him when I grown up!" Crystal answered.

"Why?" Raimundo asked.

"It's the only thing I can do to make him proud of me." Crystal slightly smiled to herself.

"…Crystal, do you have any friends? Any friends at all?" Raimundo inquired, trying to change the subject.

He didn't really want to talk about Crystal's dead father anymore. Besides, he could tell that even though she was smiling on the outside, she was really crying on the inside.

And he felt bad for her.

_Rea__l__l__y_ bad for her.

"No. No one here likes me. They think I'm creepy just because I'm forced to be different." Crystal responded.

_"It's not my fault I'm not normal. I hate being different. __I can only dream of__ the day I could live like a normal__ girl and fit in…" _Crystal thought.

_"But I know what my duty and destiny is. I can't fight it. And besides, if I fight my destiny and don't protect what I need to guard with my life…Who else will?"_

"Well I'm sorry to break this to you, but you are kinda strange. But that's okay. I still wanna be your friend." Raimundo told Crystal.

"You want to be _my_ friend?" Crystal repeated with disbelief.

"Actually, no I don't." Raimundo replied.

"I knew it was too good to be true." Crystal sighed. "I want to be your _best _friend." Raimundo grinned.

Crystal's sad eyes lit up. "Really Raimundo? You want to be my best friend? Do you really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it Crys! You seem to be kinda normal." Raimundo grinned. "After 2 months of getting used to your weirdness, that is."

**(BTW: You say Crys the same way you say Chris. They sound and are said the same way, but a spelled differently)**

"Oh thank you Rai-rai! You're the best!" Crystal happily threw her arms around Raimundo and hugged him.

"EWWW! Cooties! Lemme go Crys! I don't wanna catch a misease!" Raimundo cried.

"It's disease Rai-rai." Crystal giggled as she let go of Raimundo. "Misease, disease, same thing. And don't call me Rai-rai, Crys." Raimundo replied.

"I'm sorry, but it's just I've never been able to have a best friend before! If it wasn't for the fact that you're a boy, and boys have germs, I could just kiss you right now!" Crystal exclaimed.

"Ew. Kissing's gross. And I do _not_ have germs!" Raimundo insisted.

"I agree, kissing is gross. And I don't have cooties, Rai-rai." Crystal retorted.

"I thought I told you to stop callin' me Rai-rai!"

"And I thought I told you no."

"No you didn't Crys."

"I didn't? Well I am now! Bye now, my little stalking germ-filled best friend! See ya at home! Tell your Mom I said hi!" Crystal stood up.

Raimundo grabbed Crystal's hand and pulled her back down. "One, my name's not Rai-rai. It's Raimundo, Two, I don't have germs, and Three, I'm not a stalker!" Raimundo shouted as if he knew what the word stalker meant.

"Whatever you say. Rai-rai." Crystal smirked.

"Can't you just call me Rai? I like that better."

"But Rai-rai's a much cuter pet name than Rai is!"

"Exactly! I _HATE_ cute pet names!"

"You'll get over it Rai-rai."

"I don't have to stand for this! I am a man!"

"One, no you're not a man, you're a 5 year old germ-filled, neighbor-stalking little boy, Two, you don't have to stand for this cause you're sitting down, and Three, you're a Rai-rai."

"This is so degraded."

"You don't even know what that word means Raimundo."

"So? You don't either! And besides, that's what my older sister says when Mommy or Daddy tells he to do something that she thinks is unfair."

"…Rai-rai." Crystal smirked as she stood up.

"What have I done?" Raimundo groaned.

"You just became my best friend." Crystal answered as if Raimundo had asked her a question.

"No, I just made a pact with the devil herself!" Raimundo exclaimed. "Hey!" Crystal whacked Raimundo over his head.

"OW! What was that for?!" Raimundo clutched his throbbing head. "For calling me the devil! That was mean!" Crystal responded.

"Yeah, well, you're really gonna think it's mean when I give my germs to you!" Raimundo grinned as he stood up.

Crystal froze. "AHHHHHHHHH! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! IT'S THE RAI-RAI MONSTER!!! AND HIS GERMS!!! GROSS!!!" Crystal screamed as she ran away from Raimundo.

"Yep, and this little monster's gonna get catch you Crys! Don't forget Crystal…I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!" Raimundo ran after Crystal.

"NOOOO!!!" Crystal screamed.

"YEEESSS!!!!" Raimundo mocked Crystal.

"You'll never catch me alive Raimundo!" Crystal called back. "Alive? Who said you had to be alive?" Raimundo snorted.

Crystal gasped and stopped running. "You're a terrible best friend Rai-rai!" Crystal exclaimed as Raimundo catch up to her.

"Yeah, it's my job." Raimundo replied. "I'll race ya home!" Raimundo took off.

"HEY! That's not fair!" Crystal complained as she ran after Raimundo. "You'll get over it! Life's not fair!" Raimundo called back, leaving Crystal in his dust.

_"He's a very strange little boy."_ Crystal thought. "_But what else could you expect out of a Rai-rai?"_

"Hey Raimundo! Wait up!"

**End of Flashback**** (I know, that was a long flashback)**

"And from that point on, Crystal had changed. She was no longer shy or sad. And she was…_normal_. It was like she had changed into a whole different person." Raimundo told the group of warrior monks.

"And her once sad and depressing eyes had changed too. They became so warm and happy and full of life…I loved that about her."

"But 5 years later. Crystal's mom still hadn't recovered from her severe illness. Janie was unable to care for Crystal, so she had to go back to the United States."

"And I was moving away to a different city in Brazil…"

**Beginning of Flashback (5 years ago)**

"Raimundo! Come downstairs! Crystal's waiting for you!" Raimundo's Mom called for her one and only son.

"Coming Mom!" 10 year old Raimundo Pedrosa stuffed something I his hip pocket and practically flew down the stairs.

Raimundo opened the front door to see a watery-eyed 9 year old Crystal.

His best friend

"Raimundo, I have to go." Crystal told Raimundo tearfully.

Raimundo walked out of his house and closed the door behind him. "Go? Go where?" Raimundo inquired, scared that his best friend was leaving him.

"My mom is still sick. Raimundo, it's been 5 whole entire years, and my mom's still hasn't recovered. If we don't get any help now, she'll die." Crystal explained.

"I'm only 9, therefore by law, I'm too young to live by myself. So my aunt and uncle from North Carolina are gonna take custody of me and bring me home with them."

"No Crystal! You can't go! You can't! You could live with me and my family!" Raimundo suggested desperately. "Just please, don't go."

"I'm sorry Rai-rai, but it's already been arranged against my will. My mother is sending me by force. They'll take me back to North Carolina. Even if they have to drag me the whole way there." Crystal told Raimundo.

"Raimundo, I have to leave tomorrow. So I want to spend some time with you. Under the Cherry Trees."

"Okay. Let's talk about it at the Cherry Trees. I don't want anyone butting in and trying to eavesdrop on our conversation." Raimundo agreed to go to the Cherry Trees with Crystal.

In silence, the two best friends walked towards the Cherry Trees near the park.

Even though they were not talking or even making eye contact, they knew what was going on inside of each other's minds.

Raimundo and Crystal were like kindred spirits. They were good at telling what the other one was thinking.

They were like Siamese twins. They never went anywhere without the other. You never saw Crystal without Raimundo, and in visa versa, you never Raimundo without Crystal.

They thought that nothing could and would ever separate them and break the bond between them.

_Never_.

Not until today, at least.

"Rai-rai, I don't want go back to North Carolina! I want to stay here with you and my mom!" Crystal bawled as soon as she sat down underneath the Cherry Trees with Raimundo.

"I don't want you to leave either Crys, but I have to be strong. The both of us do. You see…I'm moving too." Raimundo began.

"My family and I are going to be moving to the capital of Brazil, Brasilia, for a maximum of two years."

"My Dad really needs to get a job, but the only opening available is in Brasilia. And they're the only ones that will take him. So we're gonna move down there so that Dad can be closer to work."

"But as soon as Dad finds a new job, we're moving back down here in Rio de Janiero. I _swear_ that it will only at least a year Crys. Two years at max." Raimundo assured Crystal quickly.

Too late.

"So you mean…You're moving too? That just means we'll be even farther apart!" Crystal sobbed. "We'll be on different _continents_! And in the opposite direction!"

"Crys, please stop crying! I hate it when you cry!" Raimundo tried to calm his crying best friend.

"I just can't stop Raimundo! You're my best friend! You're like a big brother to me!" Crystal said while trying to stop crying, but failed miserably.

"You think this is any easier on me? You're my best friend too Crys! You're like a little sister to me!" Raimundo cried.

"Crystal, seeing you this way makes me want to cry. I have something to give you." Raimundo reached into his pocket.

"What is it?" Crystal asked. Raimundo pulled out two halves of a golden heart-shaped locket and handed Crystal the right half.

"My picture is in your half and your picture is in my half. I wanted to give this to you for your birthday, but now seems to be the perfect time." Raimundo told Crystal.

"Now you have something to remember me by. And I have something to remember you by. And when we meet again," Raimundo put his locket half on.

Raimundo wrapped Crystal's locket half around her neck and put his and hers together, making the locket whole once again.

"They'll fit perfectly. And that's how you'll know it's me." Raimundo smiled.

Crystal hugged Raimundo. Raimundo took Crystal into his arms while she hugged him, hugging her back.

"Thanks Raimundo. That's so nice of you. I love it." Crystal thanked Raimundo.

A fresh batch of tears began to roll down Crystal's cheeks. Even Raimundo couldn't hold his tears back any longer.

He began to cry silently with Crystal, not letting go of her. "Promise that we'll always be friend Rai-rai. No matter what." Crystal said to Raimundo, making him promise to her, her arms still wrapped around him.

"Crys, you're my first, and by far best, best friend. We'll be best friends forever, I swear it." Raimundo promised.

"I'll miss you so much Rai-rai." Crystal hugged Raimundo tighter.

"I'll miss you too Crys. Promise me that you won't forget about us." Raimundo make Crystal promise to him.

"I promise. As long as you don't either." Crystal promised.

"Oh trust me Crys, there's no way that I could forget about you, my best friend." Raimundo reassured.

**End of Flashback**

"So that's why I think Chase has done something to Crystal. Because the Crystal I know would _never_ become a Haylin. She's just way too kind." Raimundo told his friends.

"Maybe she moved on with life, forgot the past, and became a new person?" Kimiko suggested.

"No! Never! How dare you suggest such an outrageous thing! That's absurd! She would never do that! She promised, and Crystal's not the type of person who breaks her promises!" Raimundo raged.

_"Whoa. That made him angry."_ Kimiko thought. "My friends, this is Chase Young we are talking about here. If what Raimundo says is true…" Omi trailed off.

"Then Chase must've erased her memory and tricked her or something! He had to have lied to her!" Raimundo insisted.

"Sounds about right to me. And that definitely sounds like that slimy serpent Chase Young to me." Clay agreed with Raimundo.

"But Rai, why do you have to keep her a secret?" Kimiko inquired. "Well…Because of her secret powers. And I'm the only one other than her mom that knows the whole truth about them." Raimundo answered.

"The whole, scary, truth."

**Me: Wow. That was long. **

**Raimundo: You know, I think this may be one of the longest chapters you've ever posted before in your life EGP.**

**Me: I'm so proud of myself! (sniff, sniff)**** Oh, and Janie belongs to me as well! She's **** character!**

**Crystal: And it took awfully long for you to type.**

**Me: What? I was busy.**

**Raimundo: Doing what?**

**Me: Whatever I was asked to do by my family and watching Bleach.**

**Crystal: …What's Bleach?**

**Me: It's a****n anime show. Go Ichigo! Save Rukia! And Yoruichi…How do you know Rukia's brother?!**

**Kimiko: …She's obviously in Bleach Land right now.**

**Crystal: So…Who's gonna end the chapter?**

**Raimundo: Um, I know this isn't important, but Kim, what's up with you?**

**Kimiko: What do you mean?**

**Raimundo: You know. You're being all…quiet. **

**Kimiko: Well gee, did you just figure that one out? (rolls eyes)**

**Raimundo: Hey, I was just tryin' see if you were okay! There's no need for you to be snappin' at me!**

**Kimiko: Well I'm just fine! And who said anything was wrong with me anyway?!**

**Raimundo: Well sor-**** for wanting to know if you was okay! That'll be the last time I ask!**

**Kimiko: Yeah! That'd better be! And besides, don't you have to start rehearsing with Crystal somewhere far, far ,far away?**

**Crystal: What do I have to do with your argument?**

**Kimiko: **

**Crystal: Okay! Chill out Little Miss Hot Head!**

**Kimiko: WHAT'D YOU JUST SAY?!?!?!**

**Crystal: You heard me! I didn't stutter!**

**Me: …Kimiko,**

**Kimiko: NO!**

**Me: No what?**

**Kimiko: You're gonna ask me to chill out. No!**

**Me: And why shouldn't you chill?**

**Kimiko: Cause**** started it!**

**Raimundo: No, actually, if you scroll up the page a bit, you'll see that it was **** and **** mood swings that started this argument.**

**Crystal: Look, Kimiko, did something happen to you? I mean lately you've been acting…I dunno…Hateful. You aren't perhaps…(smirks) ****, now are you?**

**Kimiko: Jealous? Of you? Of course not! Why would I be jealous of a girl like you?**

**Crystal: Well that's funny, I remember only asking you if were jealous. I never said you were jealous of **

**Kimiko: But that's what you meant!**

**Crystal: Well who****'d like a hot-headed girl with an ill temper that always bites everyone's head off when they try to comfort her? **

**Me: Now she's got a point there.**

**Kimiko: EGP!**

**Me: What? She's telling the truth. You need to just calm it Kimiko. I'll let you take your wrath out on someone, I swear. But you'll just have yo wait until that part of the story comes into play. Then you can give it all you got.**

**Kimiko: …(takes a deep breath) Okay…**

**Crystal: Feelin' better?**

**Kimiko: Don't speak to me.**

**Crystal: Well sor-ry Miss. Thang! **

**Raimundo: …Boy do I smell rivalry in the air!**

**M: Oh yeah. **** time. You know, the funny part is, Kimiko doesn't even know why she's upset with Crystal right now.**

**Raimundo: Why is she upset?**

**Me: All shall be revealed!**

**Crystal: Nothing has to be revealed EGP. Because it's quiet clear what's going on around here.**

**Me: It is?**

**Crystal: Yeah. I'm Haylin, she's Xiaolin, it's only natural. We're enemies.**

**Raimundo: …Makes sense.**

**Me: …Yeah…But I don't think that's the reason…**

**Raimundo: Well until you agree…Read and review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Me: Hel****-****lo New York City!**

**Raimundo: …We're not in New York EGP. **

**Me: So what? Someone reading my story could be!**

**Raimundo: That, or you've just lost your mind.**

**Me: I'm sleepy.**

**Raimundo: Then why are you typing?**

**Me: Cause I can.**

**Crystal: Okayyyyy, change in subject. Who's ready for the next chapter?**

**Me/Raimundo: ME!**

**Kimiko: I'm game.**

**Me: Ah, it is good to hear that you are better Kimiko!**

**Kimiko:**** Hmmm, mmm.**

**Raimundo: So…Who's startin' the chapter?**

**Crystal: Oh, I wanna do it! Can I EGP? Pu-leeeeze? **

**Me: Sure. You can start the chapter if you want to Crystal.**

**Crystal: YAY! ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but me and this story!**

**Me: Roll 'em!**

Chapter 12: Confessions – Part Two

"What 'secret powers'?" Kimiko inquired. "Well, let's back up 3 years before Crystal and I moved away from each other. To when I was 7 and she was 6. One day, I learned a disturbing secret about Crystal and Janie…" Raimundo trailed off **(Flashback Time!)**

**Beginning of Flashback**

_"Hmmm…She's not here today…"_ Raimundo thought as he arrived at the Cherry Trees. Not many people came to visit these trees.

That's why Crystal and Raimundo came here every afternoon. This was _their_ special place.

The Cherry Trees belonged to _them_.

_"Maybe she's at home…"_ Raimundo thought while he walked back home. _"I wonder what could've made her miss coming to the Cherry Trees…__"_

_"It's her favorite place in the whole entire world. I would bring her back a few cherry pedals, but she's probably slap me for picking leaves off of her precious trees!" _

Raimundo chuckled to himself. He knew how protective his best friend was to those Cherry Trees.

She made sure no harm _ever_ came to them.

Not as long as she could help it.

**(And let me tell ya, little kids can do some amazing things when they **** want something. My legs, arm, and ears still hurt**

Raimundo knocked on the front door of Crystal's house. "Hello? Crystal? Janie? Are you guys home?" Raimundo opened the door and walked in.

Raimundo silently crept towards the living room, because he heard 2 female voices coming from that area.

"Crystal, you must learn to master your elements. You cannot fail at this task. You are the only one in the whole entire world who is capable of protecting them and – " Janie began, but was interrupted by Crystal.

"I know, I know Mom. It's my destiny, duty, and fate as the last Elemental Guardian Protector. But this stuff is hard." Crystal began.

"I know how to control Water, Wind, and Earth without a problem. They're a snap. But Fire, and the Two Legendary Elements, Spirit and Darkness, are so hard to control." Crystal told her mother.

"Crystal, I do not expect you to be able to handle the Two Legendary Elements yet. In fact, I didn't think you'd be so strong at such an early age." Janie began.

"But you must know that I push you because you are the last of your kind. You must protect your title, and…Try to avoid the prophesy."

"A prophesy is impossible to avoid. She'll…" Janie trailed off in her mind. "Mom, how come you've never told me what the prophesy was?" Crystal asked.

"Is something bad gonna happen to me?"

"No. Of course not." Janie lied, faking a smile for her daughter. "Now, the element Fire is very easy. Once you learn the correct way to handle it."

_"What in the world? What the heck are they talking about?" _Raimundo wondered.

"You must be not be afraid of the fire. It will not burn you. Stay calm. Otherwise, you will lose control of your fire and the flame will spread uncontrollably, destroying everything in its path." Janie told Crystal.

"Fire is a very destructive tool, but I know you can master it. Try it."

"Okay Mom." Crystal took a deep breath and held her right hand out as if she was holding something out to her mother.

A small flame appeared in Crystal's hand.

"Be careful Crystal. Air fuels Fire and Air is all around us. You have to be extra careful with your Fire until you have mastered it. Do not form your Fireball hastily." Janie warned.

"Of course I won't. Just let me make it a bit bigger." Crystal raised her left hand and waved it over her right, causing the flame to grow.

"Crystal, that's enough. You have completed the lesson. Now put it out." Janie ordered. "Well….Uhhhh…Mommy…I can't." Crystal muttered.

The flame was becoming bigger and bigger by the second. "AH! It's growing too much! It's getting too big for me to handle! Help Mommy! Put it out, put it out!" Crystal panicked.

"Crystal, I told you to remain calm! Water Spiral!" Janie shouted, shooting a beam of water out at the large flame in Crystal's hand and putting them out.

And soaking Crystal along with the flame.

"Phew…That was a close one…" Crystal sighed with relief. "Cool!" Raimundo exclaimed in amazement.

"Hn? Is someone there?" Crystal turned around. _"Uh-oh."_ Raimundo thought, clapping his hands over him mouth.

"Intruder! Water Whip!" Janie flicked her wrist and shot a whip made of water out at Raimundo, wrapping him around in it and pulling him into the light.

"Rai-rai?" Crystal murmured. "Why are you here?" "I uh, wanted to see why you weren't at the Cherry Trees." Raimundo chuckled nervously.

"Young Raimundo…Did you…Did you witness that?" Janie asked, fearing that her and Crystal's dirty little secret had been revealed.

"Yeah, and that was _SO_ cool! Tell me how you did it! Explain everything!" Raimundo exclaimed.

"Well…I guess we have to tell you…Since you already know…" Janie trailed off.

"Come on Rai-rai." Crystal grabbed Raimundo hand. "You need to sit down, this may take awhile."

**End of Flashback**

"Crystal and Janie have the power to use the 4 elements and the 2 legendary elements, Spirit and Darkness." Raimundo began.

"They are Guardians of the Elements, Elemental Guardian Protectors. And Crystal is the last of that kind."

"It is her duty to protect and make sure no harm comes to the elements. Even if it cost her life."

"Janie is not only an Elemental Guardian Protector, but she also protects the 6 element jewels."

"When Janie fell ill, she hid the 6 elemental jewels away and now, Crystal was the only one that knew where they were, until she lost her memory, and she protects them."

"If even one of the jewels were to fall into the wrong hands…1000 years of darkness to put it bluntly." Raimundo finished.

"So you mean because Crystal's on the Haylin side, the whole world is in danger?!?!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"That's what he's sayin'. But we're positive that Chase erased her memory, remember?" Clay replied

"I wonder if Chase Young knows about this…" Omi trailed off. "Hopefully not. A lot of bad people would be after Crystal if anyone found out." Raimundo responded.

"…In the Showdown…Crystal flew." Kimiko said. "Yeah? And you point is?" Clay demanded.

"Raimundo, can Crystal fly?" Kimiko asked. "Not without her Wind element." Raimundo answered.

"And you say she can do Fire and so on, right?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Hmmm…" Kimiko trailed off suspiciously. "What she's not only an Elemental Guardian Protector, but a…"

Then, all of a sudden, Kimiko remembered Dojo's exact words.

--------------------------Dojo's Exact Words------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kimiko eyes widened. "Raimundo, give me the Dragon of Elements." Kimiko ordered. "Sure Kim," Raimundo tossed Kimiko the Shen Gong Wu.

"Dragon of Elements!" Kimiko shouted.

Suddenly, the Shen Gong Wu began to glow. _"It…It looks like a timer."_ Clay thought. _"But…Just what is it timing?"_

"Raimundo, this isn't the real Dragon of Elements. It's a fake." Kimiko showed Raimundo the fake Shen Gong Wu.

"And by the looks of it, we only have 24 hours before something big is gonna happen."

"Well then, we have to find the real one!" Raimundo replied. "You don't get it Raimundo! We're not gonna find the Dragon of Elements!"

"And just why not?" Raimundo demanded

"Because she's already been found. Rai, Crystal is the Dragon of Elements."

**Me: Okay, This is all I'm gonna say about this chapter. I'll holding out on you guys. BIG time.**

**Raimundo: Of course. You always hold out on us.**

**Me: Well I can't just come out and tell the reviewers everything, now can I?**

**Kimiko: Actually, yes you could.**

**Me: No. I. Can't. ****Suspense, remember?**

**Raimundo: Well you ain't doing too good of a job with that right now.**

**Me: Oh trust me, I've got quite a few tricks up my sleeve. (smirks evilly) Oh heck yeah.**

**Crystal: …She scares me.**

**Raimundo: Yeah, she scares me too. She scares us **

**Kimiko: Why do I feel like something bad is gonna happen in a few chapters from now?**

**Me: Because you're right.**

**Kimiko: Of course I am. I'm **** right.**

**Raimundo: (rolls eyes) Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say Kim.**

**Crystal: Read and review please!**

**Raimundo: And adore me! **** OF YOU! You know I'm the hottest guy alive!**

**Me: Yeah right! Sesshomaru from Inuyasha and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle are the **** guys alive! (Howl's pretty cute…But Sesshomaru is **

**Raimundo: Shut up so the chapter can end.**

**Crystal: You're just jealous cause Sesshomaru and Howl are hot and you're not!**

**Me: HA! That's two against one!**

**Raimundo: WHAT??? You think so too Crys?**

**Crystal: Sorry Rai-rai, but they're hot with a capital H!**

**Raimundo: …Like Kimiko said, read and review please.**

**Me/Crystal: See? He's totally jealous.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Me: HELLO MY PEOPLE!**

**Raimundo: What's wrong with you?**

**Me: Nothing! (smiles brightly)**

**Raimundo: Then why are you so hyper?**

**Me: Cause I'm happy!**

**Crystal: Why? You're scaring me.**

**Kimiko: Yo.**

**Raimundo: Yo yourself. What's up?**

**Kimiko: Nothin' much.**

**Me: Um, hello? This is NOT your personal chat room!**

**Raimundo: Can you make us up a personal chat room?**

**Me: For what?**

**Raimundo: You know, so that the three of us characters can chill and relax.**

**Kimiko: Chillax.**

**Me: (crosses arms) And just **_**why**_** can't you, Crystal, and Kimiko "chillax" in trailer or in my house?**

**Raimundo: (begins whining) EGP,**

**Me: …Maybe. If you be a good boy.**

**Raimundo: YES! But you're making me sound liking a freakin' dog!**

**Crystal: Well fine, she's make us a ****personal chat room if you be a good Rai-rai.**

**Raimundo: (glares at Crystal) You're not helping Crys. Kim, you wanna start the chapter?**

**Kimiko: Sure. ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and this story.**

Chapter 13: Chase's Game

"_She's_ the Dragon of Elements?" Raimundo repeated with disbelief. "Just think about it Rai. Master Fung and Dojo said that the Dragon of Elements had something to do with the four elements." Kimiko began to explain her theory.

"Well, Crystal can control all four of the elements plus two extra ones. No one else except for her mother Janie can do that."

"But Master Fung and Dojo said that the Dragon of Elements had to be a magical item or a Shen Gong Wu." Clay pointed out.

"True, but they also said that a human being could never wield and properly master all four elements, and yet Crystal can." Kimiko retorted.

"So are you saying she's not only an Elemental Guardian Protector, but the Dragon of Elements too? That she's suppose to be one of us?" Raimundo asked.

"Exactly. And I think the reason why she is the Dragon of Elements is because she is an Elemental Guardian Protector." Kimiko answered.

"Since she's an Elemental Guardian Protector, she can handle and master all the elements…And since she's the last one of her kind…" Clay trailed off.

"She is destined to be the most powerful. But that still does not explain why this imitation Shen Gong Wu transformed into a timer." Omi replied.

"Guys, you're totally missing it!" Raimundo exclaimed, finally figuring things out. "Master Fung and Dojo said that the Dragon of Elements had to be a magical item or Shen Gong Wu, right?" Raimundo began, receiving a nod from each of his fellow monks.

"Well, let's say Crystal _is _the Dragon of Elements. Perhaps she is not what produces the power."

"So you're saying there's a power source in which Crystal's magic comes from? And that is what the hands of evil would want?" Omi asked.

"Exactly. And I bet it's those 6 jewels Rai was talking about earlier." Kimiko responded. "And if someone like Chase was to find the power source…"

"He'd gain the ability to use the power." Clay finished for Kimiko. "And then the only one whose power could ever bypass would be…"

"Crystal's." Raimundo whispered. "So Chase obviously know about Crystal's powers. But how? The poor girl doesn't even seem to know herself!" Clay exclaimed.

"And maybe that's why Chase is taking so long to find the jewels. Because he didn't think things through when he did something to Crystal." Raimundo replied.

"So what's the timer for?" Kimiko asked. "…I think Chase planned this to happen." Raimundo sighed.

"Well nah Rai, it's perfectly normal for a Shen Gong Wu to turn into a timer! It happened everyday!" Kimiko retorted.

"Really? It does?" Raimundo teased Kimiko. "Um, excuse me my friends, but I do not like the way that clock is ticking." Omi gulped.

Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay listened to the timer along with Omi.

_**Tick**_

_**Tock**_

_**Tick**_

_**Tock**_

_**Tick **_

_**Tock**_

_**Tick **_

_**Tock**_

"…Oh no worries Chrome Dome. It's just a bomb." Raimundo told Omi. Seconds later, it hit Raimundo.

Hard.

Raimundo's eyes widened.

"A BOMB?! OH NO, WE HAVE A BOMB IN THE BUILDING!!!" Raimundo screamed. "Look Raimundo, unless you want to be blown to bits, help us figure this out! We only have 23 hours and 45 minutes left! There's no time to waste!" Kimiko snapped.

"O-Okay Kim, you're right. But I'm way too pretty to die!" Raimundo cried. "Raimundo, grip a get! This is not the time for your joke's corny!" Omi yelled.

"…It's get a grip and corny jokes little partner." Clay corrected Omi. "That too." Omi responded.

'"Guys, focus! Why would Chase Young send us a timer bomb?" Kimiko tried to her friends back on track.

_"Other than the fact that he hates us and wants us dead?"_ Raimundo thought as a response to Kimiko's question.

"That no good serpent Chase Young! He probably planned the whole showdown and knew that Crystal was gonna lose!" Raimundo growled.

"But Rai, think about it. This timer bomb thing is trying to tell us something's gonna happen in the next 23 hours and 40 minutes." Kimiko pointed.

"So you mean…Chase is trying to warn us about something?" Clay inquired. "Yes. And what is one reason why Chase Young would _ever _warn us about anything?" Omi said with hatred towards Chase increasing.

"He wants us to do the dirty work." Clay growled. "Figures. Chase always would rather someone else do the hard and dirty work while he just takes the prize." Kimiko rolled her eyes.

where." Raimundo told his friends, stating the obvious.

"Makes sense to me. The fella's just tryna use us." Clay responded. And he knows that as long as there's a possibility that this thing could cause the world's demise…We'll go and find it." Kimiko focused on the bomb.

Raimundo stood up and leaned against the wall. _"Chase knows that we're very well capable of finding this thing. That's why he sent the bomb to us."_ Raimundo thought.

_"And, he also knows how to get what he wants. Especially from us."_

**Me: End of chapter 13!**

**Raimundo: Nice. **

**Me: Thank you!**

**Raimundo: Can I go now?**

**Kimiko: Uh, no. If I have to suffer here, then you have to suffer her e with me.**

**Me: Hey! Just what's that suppose to mean?**

**Crystal: Nothing bad of course, EGP.**

**Raimundo: I'll leaving now 9walks towards door)**

**Me: Raimundo, if you leave, you definitely won't get the personal chat room you asked for.**

**Raimundo: (turns around and runs back to his seat) Hello people, I'm back. Did ya miss me?**

**Crystal/Kimiko: No.**

**Me: Of course you guys didn't miss Rai.**

**Kimiko: Just what is that suppose to mean?**

**Me: Oh nothing. Crystal, end the chapter.**

**Crystal: Read and review please!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Me: Hey, hey, hey!**

**Raimundo: Hey yourself.**

**Crystal: What's this chapter about?**

**Me: Well, I guess I'll tell ya a little bit. It's actually about them preparing to find a certain Shen Gong Wu.**** And a little quality ****time with our ****favorite little Xiaolin Monks**

**Raimundo: ME!**

**Me: And Kimiko.**

**Kimiko: Why?**

**Crystal: What do you mean why? Don't you wanna spend time with Raimundo?**

**Kimiko: (crosses her arms and sneers) Ha! Why would I wanna waste my time with this **

**Raimundo: Hey! I resent that!**

**Kimiko: (growls) Then resent it.**

**Crystal: (sweat drops) I'm confused. I thought EGP said Kimiko – **

**Me: (quickly grabs Crystal and covers her mouth)**

**Kimiko: (raises an eyebrow) Said that Kimiko what?**

**Me: (laughs nervously) Nothing! Nothing at all Kimi! Hahahahaha…**

**Crystal: (still muffled) MMMM! MMMM! MMMMMMMMM!**

**Me: Oh! (Uncovers Crystal's mouth with my hand) There.**

**Crystal: Thanks.**

**Raimundo: Okay, let's get this show on the road!**

**Kimiko: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and a few other characters.**

Chapter 14: Restless Nights

Raimundo stretched and sat up in his bed. It was now morning time.

And he felt like he had gotten all but 5 minutes of sleep.

Raimundo yawned sleepily, slowly crawled out of bed, and walked to the kitchen.

When he got to the kitchen, he saw that Kimiko was already there. And she looked like she was ready to fall over and go to sleep.

Kimiko was yawning constantly. Her sapphire blue eyes were stained with red from sleepiness and tainted with urge to greedily attack a bed at sleep to her heart's content.

Like Raimundo, Kimiko was still in her pajamas. Unlike Raimundo, who was wearing a green pajama outfit make up of a light green long sleeve shirt and dark green pants, Kimiko was wearing a pink pajama outfit make up of a hot pink shirt and dark red pants.

Kimiko's long beautiful silky raven black her fell messily to her waist, free of the usual pig tail hair style.

Raimundo pulled up a chair and sat down next to Kimiko. "Hey Kim." Raimundo sleepily greeted the Japanese girl.

"Oh, hi Rai. What time as it?" Kimiko asked the Brazilian as she yawned and stretched.

"It's 5:23 in the morning." Raimundo answered. "No luck sleeping, huh?" Kimiko pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear.

"Nah. I couldn't sleep knowing there was a bomb attached to the temple floor." Raimundo ran a hand through his brunette colored hair.

"Me neither. Omi's up too. He's meditating. But Clay? Nothing slops him from sleeping! _NOTHING_! And he's sleepin' _hard_!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"Makes me just wanna march into his room, kick him in his head, and wake the dude up. I mean, if _I_ can't sleep, then _no one_ can!" Raimundo growled.

Kimiko laughed. "What?" Raimundo demanded. "I'm sleepy!" "I'm sleepy too, but you don't see me killin' nobody!" Kimiko giggled.

"…What's that got to do with me using Clay's head as a soccer ball?" Raimundo inquired, clueless.

"Nothing Raimundo. Never mind. Just forget it." Kimiko sighed, sweat dropping.

"So Rai…Where do you think the thing Chase wants is?" Kimiko asked. "I dunno, but all I do know is, we've got 18 hour and 15 minutes to figure that out." Raimundo sighed. "If only Crystal could remember…"

"You miss her a lot, don't you?" Kimiko whispered. "Oh, you have _no_ idea how much." Raimundo began.

"I miss _everything_ about Crystal. Her bright smile…Her cheerful laugh…Her gentle voice…Heck, I even miss her painful slaps!"

"But what I miss the most about Crystal is her warm affectionate white eyes…So full of life and happy…They always sparkled and shined with purity."

"Even when things were hopeless, even when everything was going wrong, she was determined to keep the warmth in her eyes and never lose it."

"And they were so beautiful. Just like real crystals. Beautiful, sparkling, and pure. With eyes like those, it's no wonder why her name is Crystal!"

"You talk so passionately about her Rai. It's almost as though she has you struck. Are you sure you don't _love_ her?" Kimiko asked.

"Me? Love Crystal? That's ridiculous! As a sister, yeah, but as a girlfriend? No way! Not even in a thousand years! This is _Crystal_ we're talking about Kim! My best friend! As if I could ever like her! Besides, I she's not a girl, she's…Crystal!" Raimundo exclaimed in bewilderment.

"I hope you're right Raimundo." Kimiko thought. She didn't know why, but secretly…

She hoped that Raimundo really didn't like Crystal that way. It sickened her for some strange reason…

_"Why would Kimiko ask such a stupid question?"_ Raimundo wondered. _"I mean, I know I talk passionately about her sometimes, but it's only because she's my best friend and I love her like a sister."_

_"I owe Crystal my very life. She's put her life on the line for me more than few times. Because of me, she could've, and should've, been dead now!"_

_"But I'm just happy she's alive and well. I miss my best friend. And I would do anything to win her back and away from Chase. Anything"_

"Kimiko…Why do you ask anyway?" Raimundo eyed Kimiko suspiciously. Kimiko opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out.

_"Why did I ask?"_ Kimiko wondered. _"That sure is one heck of a good question. It just came out. I have no clue why. I mean, why should I care if he likes Crystal as more than a best friend?"_

"WU ALERT! WU ALERT!" Dojo yelled. _"Saved by the Wu."_ Kimiko thought gratefully, letting put a sigh of relief.

"Am man. This early already?" Raimundo groaned. "I am afraid so, young one." Master Fung walked into the kitchen along with Clay and Omi.

"What's the Wu, Dojo?" Kimiko asked. "Well, it's called the Ring of Serenia." Dojo informed.

"Well little partner, what does it do?" Clay inquired. "I'm not sure." Dojo answered.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Omi demanded. "Well, someone ripped the info about the Ring of Serenia out of the Sacred Scroll, and it has been hundreds and hundreds of years since Grand Master Dashi and I hid the Shen Gong Wu, so I don't really remember." Dojo told the monks.

"Get dressed young warriors. You will need to go after this new active Shen Gong Wu." Master Fung said to the Xiaolin Dragons.

"Where is it?" Kimiko asked. "In El Salvador." Master Fung answered. "Great." Raimundo rolled his eyes and walked back to his room to get dresses.

"Just great."

**Change in POV**

"Crystal, are you awake?" Chase walked into Crystal's room. "Yes Chase-sama. Is there another Shen Gong Wu?" Crystal asked.

"Yes, there is. It is called the Ring of Serenia." Chase answered. "You must not win this showdown." Chase ordered Crystal to lose the showdown.

"But Chase-sama…Why?" Crystal inquired. "I have my reasons. Now get dressed. You will battle in many showdowns today." Chase left the room.

_"If I want the Seven Jewels of Elements and the Celestial Robe, I must have Crystal's help to find it. She is the only one who knows where they are."_ Chase thought.

_"But I erased her memory…The Ring of Serenia has revealed itself, huh? That means the Malabu Mirror isn't too far away from revealing itself as well…"_

"Perfect. I'll just have to make sure Raimundo gets the Ring of Serenia and Crystal gets the Malabu Mirror." Chase said to himself.

"It's the only way."

**Me: Nice chapter, huh?**

**Crystal: It was alright. **

**Raimundo: Yeah. **

**Kimiko: Whatever.**

**Me: …Whoever likes my chapter gets free food! And sweets!**

**Raimundo/Kimiko/Crystal: FREE FOOD?!?!**

**Me: (nods) ****And**** sweets.**

**Kimiko: I really like your chapter!**

**Crystal: I really love your chapter!**

**Raimundo: I worship and adore your chapter! Now where's the free food?**

**Kimiko/Crystal: And who says YOU get free food and sweets?**

**Raimundo: I was the nicest!**

**Crystal/Kimiko: But we're the smartest! And prettiest! **

**Raimundo: And your point is?**

**Crystal: HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF LADIES FIRST?!?!**

**Kimiko: YEAH!**

**Raimundo: Ladies? What ladies? I just see you ****guys**

**Kimiko: And just what is that suppose to mean?!**

**Raimundo: Well…Aren't ladies ****suppose**** to be…girls? And pretty? And nice? And polite?**

**Kimiko/Crystal: JUST WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY, RAIMUNDO PEDROSA?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!**

**Me: (watches Kimiko and Crystal yell at Raimundo while beating his senseless) ****It's**** funny how food and goodies can change people's minds.**

**Raimundo: …Ughhhh…Read and review…please…Help me…**

**Crystal/Kimiko: NOT UNTIL YOU TAKE THAT BACK!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Me: 'Ello peeps!**

**Raimundo: Do you like saying that or something?**

**Me: Yerp.**

**Raimundo: (raises a curious eyebrow) ****? What's that?**

**Me: That's how I sometimes like to say yep.**

**Raimundo: …Backing away **** slowly…**

**Crys****tal: Well, this chapter is as at a good length, so EGP, should we start the chapter?**

**Me: Go ahead.**

**Kimiko: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and a few other characters.**

Chapter 15: Ring of Serenia

"Crystal, are you ready?" Chase asked his apprentice. Crystal nodded. "Which Shen Gong Wu do you want me to take?"

"Bring 2 Shen Gong Wu with you. Your choice." Chase replied. "Okay, then I choose…Golden Tiger Claws and Tangle Web Comb." Crystal informed.

"As for me, I choose the Ring of Nine Dragons." Chase chose his Wu. "Chase-sama, are you battling in a Xiaolin Showdown as well?" Crystal inquired.

"No, I'm bringing a Shen Gong Wu with me. Just in case." Chase lied. Wuya eyed Chase carefully.

_"Yeah right."_ Wuya thought. _"Chase is up to something, I just know it. I just don't know what…" _

"Oh, and Chase-sama…What is the Malabu Mirror?" Crystal asked. Wuya's eyes widened.

"I knew you were up to something Chase! You're trying to – " Wuya began, but was interrupted by Chase clapping his right hand over Wuya's mouth and grabbing her right arm with his left hand as he stood behind her.

"Nothing important Crystal. Do you have anything to get from your room?" Chase tried to change the subject.

"…You know, as a matter of fact, I do." Crystal remember. "Go get it. We're leaving in 5 minutes. No, 2." Chase told Crystal.

"'Kay Chase-sama!" Crystal ran off to her room. "_I wonder why chase-sama wouldn't tell me what the Malabu Mirror does…I wonder even more why he wouldn't let Wuya-chan finish her sentence…" _Crystal thought suspiciously.

Once Crystal was gone, Chase removed his hand from Wuya's mouth and let go of her.

"Why did you do that?!" Wuya demanded. "You must not allow Crystal to hear. I do not want her to know." Chase replied.

"You can't. Raimundo, he'll surely cause her to remember. Everything." Wuya reasoned.

"Yes, I know. But I need the Seven Jewels of Elements." Chase told Wuya.

"But what if she goes over to the Xiaolin side?"

"Then so be it." Chase left the room.

_"You are such a fool, Chase."_ Wuya thought.

--------------------------

Crystal ran into her room and picked up the locket halves. Crystal wore hers around her neck and stuffed Raimundo's into her hip pocket.

_"No matter how creepy I think it is that Raimundo has my picture and knows so much about me, I must return this him. It is his, after all."_ Crystal thought.

"And besides, I have his picture too. God, am I confused." Crystal sighed. "But I have to concentrate on this first battle."

"And I'll give the next one my all!" Crystal ran out of her room. "I'm ready Chase-sama!"

**Change in POV**

"You guys ready to go?" Dojo asked. "Yep. We are." Clay answered for everyone.

"Everyone got their Shen Gong Wu?" Dojo inquired. "Yes Dojo!" All 4 of the Xiaolin Monks shouted.

"Okay, okay! Jeez! Hop on!" Dojo transformed into his youkai form. Clay, Kimiko, Raimundo, and Omi climbed onto Dojo's back.

"You know, I've got the feeling that I forgot to tell you guys something important about the Ring of Serenia…Something fatal…" Dojo trailed off.

"Nah, maybe it has something to do with this rash on your back." Raimundo suggested.

"Maybe. Let's just go." Kimiko urged. "Okay! El Salvador, here we come!" Dojo took off into the air

-------------------------

"Here we are!" Dojo landed and let the kids off of his back before he deactivated his youkai form.

"And there's the Ring of Serenia!" Raimundo pointed to a shining object high in the tree tops.

They were in a forest in El Salvador **(I **** hope there's a forest in El Salvador!)**

"Ah, Hello Xiaolin Warriors. Raimundo." Crystal walked into sight, yards in front of the warriors.

"Crystal. What have you been up to?" Raimundo responded. "Nothing much. But that is enough with the chit-chat. Time to Showdown!" Crystal ran towards the new Shen Gong Wu.

"Not so fast Crystal!" Kimiko ran after Crystal. "Judalette Flip Fire!" Kimiko yelled, slowing Crystal down.

"Water Barrage!" Crystal shouted, putting out the flames and continuing towards the Shen Gong Wu.

_"Chase allowed Crystal to use her power out in the open for everyone to see? The n he must've figured it out. He knows we know about Crystal's dirty little secret."_ Kimiko thought.

"Got it!" Kimiko grabbed the Ring of Serenia, but at the same time, Crystal's hand closed over the ring.

"Ah, ah, ah. _We _got it." Crystal corrected Kimiko. "And your name is?" Crystal asked for Kimiko's name.

"My name is Kimiko Tohomiko and I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown." Kimiko challenged Crystal.

"Alright. Name the game." Crystal accepted Kimiko's challenge. "Jungle Safari. Whoever is the last one to find all three golden rings is the loser." Kimiko informed.

"Fine with me. I wager my Golden Tiger Claws against your Falcon's Eye. Ready?" Crystal asked.

"Oh yeah. Xiaolin Showdown!" Kimiko yelled. The girls surrounding changed. They were now in a tropical rain forest.

And the game was on

**Me: OVER!**

**Kimiko: WHAT?! How can you end the story right there???**

**Me: Cause I can.**

**Crystal: She's lying. This story is FAR from over.**

**Me: (pouts) Humph! You always have to ruin the fun.**

**Raimundo: …What fun?**

**Me: …My fun.**

**Raimundo: …How is lying to Kim fun.**

**Me: (shrug) ****It's**** not.**

**Kimiko: (anime falls) ****But**** you just said it was!**

**Me: (scratches head) I did? When? I don't…remember…**

**Kimiko/Raimundo: (stares at EGP with disbelief)**

**Crystal: (sweat drops) Read and review please? Gomen Nasai.**

**Me: ONEGAI!**

**Kimiko: She says 'PLEASE!' So I guess she REALLY wants you to review, so please, click the cute little button at the bottom of the screen and submit a review. Thank you.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Me: Time to Update!**

**Kimiko: Sweet! Am**** I gonna kick Crystal's butt?**

**Me: Not exactly.**

**Crystal: Am I gonna kick Kimiko's butt?**

**Me: No.**

**Kimiko/Crystal: WHAT????**

**Me: well, remember, Chase ordered you to lose Crystal**

**Crystal: (crosses her arms and pouts) Phooey**

**Kimiko: But why would Chase Young do that?**

**Me: You'll have to read to find out.**

**Raimundo: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Crystal and a few other characters.**

Chapter 16: Kimiko vs. Crystal: Showdown in the Jungle

"Got any last words to say?" Crystal asked. "Not except good luck. You'll _really _be needing it." Kimiko retorted

"Oh I don't think so, Miss. Tohomiko." Crystal replied.

"GONG YI TAN PAI!"

Crystal and Kimiko started the showdown, running in opposite directions – Kimiko went east and Crystal went west.

_"I could easily make these Tiger Claws take me to the exact location of each of the three golden rings and win the showdown." _Crystal thought.

But she remembered her conversation with Chase while she traveled to El Salvador.

**Beginning of Flashback**

"Chase-sama, why must I lose to the Xiaolin Warriors?" Crystal asked. "Because I said so." Chase snapped.

"Rude much." Wuya muttered, receiving a spine-chilling glare from Chase.

"But…Surely there must be a better reason! I mean, they are the enemy! We can't just let them take what is rightfully ours!" Crystal exclaimed.

"The nerve of those Xiaolin Dragons! Or any Xiaolins, for that matter! I mean, here we are trying to help the world, and they come along to destroy all of the peace and serenity!" crystal continued.

"Ohhh, those Xiaolin Dweebs just get me sick! How dare they cause so much evil and destruction! Just leave me alone with one of those losers in a dark room for 5 minutes! God I HATE –no- DESPISE –no- LOATHE people like them!"

_"Does she think the Haylin Side is the good side and the Xiaolin Side is the bad side?"_ Wuya wondered. _"Ohhhh! Chase done lied to her! Bad!"_

"You're bad, Chase!" Wuya whispered to Chase. "You lied to Crystal." "I know. But I had to convince her that we were the good guys. How else was I suppose to get her to willingly cooperate? That is…after I erased her memory." Chase whispered back to Wuya.

_"She thinks like a Haylin. Such hatred for the Xiaolins. Only a true Haylin could think that way."_ Chase thought.

_"And it is true. She is truly a full blooded Haylin Warrior, for Haylin blood runs through her veins."_

"Crystal, it's all part of my plan to defeat the Xiaolin Warriors once and for all." Chase explained.

"Really?"

"Yes. So you have to let them get the Ring of Serenia and you have to get the Malabu Mirror. Understand?"

"Yes sir Chase-sama!" Crystal smiled. "Ugh, She's so…nice." Chase said with disgust.

"She likes you Chase. You're a role model to her." Wuya explained.

_"Oh, I am more than just a role model to her__ Wuya. If only you knew just how much more I really am to her."_ Chase thought, watching Crystal.

_"If only she knew just how much more than a sensei or master I am to her. Sometimes I just want to blurt the truth out. To tell her."_

_"Sometimes it saddens me that she doesn't know who I am to her. And no matter how much memory she recovers, she will never remember."_

_"Because she has no memory of me. I never allowed her or anyone else to see my face."_

_"But she must not know who I am. Not now, at least. Now is not the time. I cannot afford for her to hate me just quite yet. Even though it would kill me if she hated me. Because I care about her more than she will ever know."_

_"Perhaps…Perhaps one day ,maybe, just maybe. I can tell her. Maybe she'll accept me."_

"And she will finally know just who I am." Chase whispered with a small almost unnoticeable smile.

**End of Flashback**

"I must let Kimiko win this showdown. How disappointing." Crystal sighed. "But I will also make it look convincing." Crystal grinned.

"Golden Tiger Claws!"

-------------------------

"Oh. Where are those stupid rings?" Kimiko grumbled. She had been looking for the last 10 minutes and had found nothing.

"I'm hot, I'm sweaty, I'm tired, and I'm wearing high heels! Man, out of all the showdowns, why did I have to open my big mouth and choose a Jungle Safari?" Kimiko continued to gripe.

"That's it, Falcon's Eye!" Kimiko shouted. "Ooo! There's a golden ring!" Kimiko cried, running to the ring and picking it up.

Suddenly, the ring vanished. "Grrrrr…IT WAS ONLY A CHEAT KNOCK OFF IMITATION!" Kimiko yelled angrily.

"Hey Kimiko, you lookin' for these?" Crystal held up two golden rings. _"No! She already has two rings!"_Kimiko began to panic.

"Out of the way!" Kimiko pushed past Crystal. "Whatever you say Kim. Golden Tiger Claws!" Crystal shouted, disappearing into the vortex.

"Don't call me Kim!" Kimiko yelled after Crystal. "Falcon's Eye." Kimiko sighed. "A golden ring! Better not be an imitation." Kimiko growled.

Kimiko walked up to the golden object and found not one, but _two_ golden rings.

"2 golden rings??? SWEET!!!" Kimiko's confidence was restored. Now she definitely had a chance at beating Crystal!

"Falcon's Eye!" Kimiko shouted. "Hmmm…Let me see…I don't see any more rings…But I do see Crystal!" Kimiko gasped.

"After her!" Kimiko screamed mentally as she ran after Crystal_. "Good. My plan's working." _Crystal thought.

"You gettin' tired of running in those high heels Kimiko?" Crystal asked Kimiko while she ran, yards in front of her.

"No!" Kimiko responded. "Good. Because I'm speeding things up!" Crystal began to fly, leaving Kimiko in her dust.

"Hey! Come back here! That's not fair!" Kimiko called after Crystal. _"If only I had the Monkey Staff right now…" _Kimiko thought.

Out of the blue, one of Kimiko's heel's broke. "What? Grrrrr…Dang it!" Kimiko took off her heels and ran bare footed.

The bottom half of Kimiko's skirt was caught on a branch while she ran and was tore off.

_"This is so not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to make a fashion statement!" _Kimiko thought.

Tired and out of breath, Kimiko finally caught up to Crystal. Crystal was climbing a tree.

Because at the top of that tree was the last golden ring.

"Oh no you don't!" Kimiko ran up to the tree and began climbing it. _"__Tha__nk god I've been training extra hard lately! Otherwise, I would've never __been able to climb this tree in this clothing!" _Kimiko thought.

Crystal looker down. Kimiko was a few feet below her. Crystal reached out for the last ring – The Ring of Serenia.

"Almost…Got it…" Crystal's hand was mere centimeters away from the ring, but 'suddenly', she 'lost' her balance.

"Whoa…whoa…AHHHH!" Crystal fell out of the tree. "Crystal!" Kimiko cried. She stopped for a minute, but didn't let that slow her down from getting to the top.

Crystal looked up as she fell. She was that Kimiko was nearing the Ring of Serenia.

_"She has it. The showdown will end before I hit the ground."_ Crystal thought, closing her eyes.

"Got it!" Kimiko held up the Ring of Serenia. "I won the showdown!"

**Me: Nice, right?**

**Raimundo: Sure. Whatever.**

**Me: (looks at Crystal and Kimiko)**

**Crystal: Why did I purposely lose again?**

**Kimiko: Who cares? I won and that's all to it!**

**Me: (shakes head as I watch Kimiko and Crystal argue) Read and review please.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Me: I have returned!**

**Raimundo: FINALLY! Man, you're ALWAYS so busy with you're OTHER stories... NO fair...**

**Me: Well, I've came back for YOU guys, so be happy. I thought I might as well update. To get it over with.**

**Raimundo: Exactly. And you'll make lots of people happy.**

**Me: (rolls eyes laughing) I own nothing except Crystal and this story. And my Shen Gong Wu: The Ring of Serenia and The Malabu Mirror ;) lol**

Chapter 17: Onward, to Hawaii!

"YAY! Way to go, Kimiko!" Raimundo cheered for the Dragon of Fire along with Clay and Omi as Kimiko returned to them. "Congradulations, Kimiko. You did well." Crystal crossed her arms.

"We should really showdown again sometime soon. But next time, I _assure_ you it will be I who is the winner." Crystal slighty grinned at the Japanese girl. Crystal turned to walk away, but stopped.

"Oh, and Raimundo?"

"Hn?" Raimundo blinked, surprised. "Here." Crystal tossed back the locket half at Raimundo. "I accidentally snagged this from you during our last showdown." she told him, her back turned to him.

"Raimundo Pedrosa... You are truly the strangest 15 year old that I have ever met before. Y'know that?" She turned back to him, smiling. "Eh... Hey, you're not so normal yourself! NORMAL people can't fly and control elements!" Raimundo retorted.

"Maybe I'm not nromal, Raimundo. Maybe not. See you around." And with a wink of her eye, pink winds and cherry blossoms suddenly swirled around her, and she vanished into thin air.

Raimundo's eyes widened. _"...Cherry Blossoms..." _he caught one in his hand. _"She still likes Cherry Blossoms... And she actually smiled at me... Her same bright smile... It was so... angelic. There's no mistaking it. My Crys is still in there. Somewhere..."_

"Guys, there's been another activated Shen Gong Wu!" Dojo exclaimed. "Another one?" Kimiko groaned. "I'm sure of it. It's the Malabu MIrror." Dojo pulled out the sacred scroll.

"Hey! The desciption of the Malabu MIrror has been torn out of the sacred scroll!" Dojo exclaimed. "Well anyway, it's a mirror. It's a small and circular mirror with a black frame around it kinda like the Reversing Mirror's, only the frame was made for a circular mirror."

"Great. Where is this Shen Gong Wu?" Omi inquired. "In Hawaii." Dojo answered. "HAWAII?!" Raimundo and Kimiko chorused. "I've always wanted to go there!"

"Well partners, I guess this is your golden oppertunity." Clay responded as he climbed onto Dojo's back with Omi. "Hawaii, here we come!" Raimundo and Kimiko shouted excitedly.

"Next stop, Hawaii!" Dojo took off into the skies and flew towards their next destination. "Hey, um, how far away is Hawaii from El Salvador?" Kimiko asked.

"I dunno." Raimundo shrugged. "But something tell me me we're gonna be sitting here for a _LONG_ time. You have your PDA? Did you bring Goo Zombies 9 with you? I still haven't beaten it. It's as hard as crap..."

"Yeah, I have it right here." Kimiko pulled out the game. "You up for it? 2 players mode?"

"Oh yea."

"Whoever gets the highest score wins." She handed another PDA system to Raimundo, connecting the two with a plugin cord.

"Oh you're on. Imma beat you bad!"

"We'll see about that."

"Goo Zombies 9 marathon, here we come!"

_**--Hours Later--**_

"We're... Finally... Here..." Dojo landed, out of breath. "FINALLY! I thought I was gonna die of BOREDOM." Raimundo cried, thanking the heavens.

"Doddi." Omi agreed. "... It's Diddo, Omi." Kimiko corrected. "Oh, bad my." Omi responded. "It's my bad Chrome Dome. Stick to the jumping and kicking." Raimundo pushed Omi, knocking him over. "Hey!" Omi glared.

"I'm just glad to be back on solid ground." Clay sighed with relief, jumping off of Dojo's back. "Oh, and Rai, you were only bored because I beat you in the Goo Zombies 9 marathon." Kimiko smirked.

"...It was pure luck." Raimundo shrugged. "Now." he sped off, leaving the others. "Eh? Where'd Rai go? Tha twas pretty fast..." Clay blinked in surprise. "I haven't even seen him move that fast when it comes dinner time..."

"Knowing Raimundo, he's probably about to do something idiotic." Kimiko sweat dropped.

"KAWA-BUNGA DUDES!!" **(lol that is prolly horribly spelled ;) haha...)**

"See? What did I tell you?" Kimiko sighed, shaking her head. Raimundo had returned - In green swimming trunks and a surfboard in hand.

"Surf's Up!" Raimundo began to run towards the ocean with the surf board. "Not so fast there partner." Clay grabbed Raimundo by his swimming trunks, lifting him up and setting him in front of him.

"Aww man! Come on! We're in HAWAII! Look at that beautiful ocean! It's practically _screaming_ my name!" Raimundo protested. "...Well, if any of you need me, I'll be right here working on my tan." Kimiko laid out a beach towel.

She was suddenly wearinga red bathing suit top, a red mini skirt, black sandals, and black sunglasses. Her long raven black was tied back into two long braids.

Kimiko stuck an umbrella over her beach towel for a bit of shade and laid down on her beack towel, beginning to read one of her favorite teen magazines.

"Oh, you guys finally made it."

Raimundo, Clay, and Omi turned around to see Crystal walking towards them. She was wearing a white two piece swimming suit with a long, thin white skirt on over it, white flip flops, and her long wavy black hair swayed freely in the cool breeze.

"I just came to tell you guys that the Malabu Mirror has is here on this beach. And I will be the first one to get to it." Crystal informed. "Now that you mention it... I do sense it... But where? Where is it...?" Dojo sniffed the ground.

"You won't find it on the ground, because... It's in the water." Crystal replied. "Which one of you is the Dragon of Water?" "That would be me." Omi stepped forward.

"Ah. I see. The small one. You must be really skilled. Stronger than the others, even. You're Chase-sama's favorite." Crystal crossed her arms. "It would be unwise for you to challenge me to a Xiaolin Showdown then, if you know that." Omi retorted.

"Oh, but a showdown in water against the Xiaolin Dragon of Water would be very fun. What is your name, Dragon of Water?" Crystal inquired. "My name is Omi." Omi answered.

"Alrighty then, little Omi, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown." Crystal bent down to Omi and whispered in his ear. "Because not even you can defeat me in a true battle. No matter how strong you may be." she put her hands on his shoulders.

Omi narrowed his eyes. "And what makes you think that, Haylin Warrior?" Omi brushed Crystal away."Heh... Try me. Let's see if your little Xiaolin Dragon powers can compare... To my superior Elemental Guardian powers." Crystal smirked.

_"She knows she's an Elemental Guardian? I guess Chase told her about it... Must be why she knows how to use her powers correctly..." _Raimundo thought.

"Alright, Omi, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown." Crystal challenged. "Fine. What's the game?" Omi demanded. "Hmmm... Well... I don't have a name for it. Not that it really matters." Crystal replied. "We can think of a game after the showdown, if you'd like."

"What are the rules of this nameless game?"

"The Malabu Mirror will be hidden somewhere in the ocean. The first to find it and take it back to the shore line is the winner. Simple, however, you are allowed to take and battle the Wu from your opponent. And... There will be a few twists."

"Fine with me. I wager my Gills of Hamachi. What will your Wu be?"

"Hmmm... Well, I seem to only have this so... I guess I wager my Tangle Web Comb."

"Are you sure? What use could the Tangle Web Comb be in a water showdown?"

"It's all I have. If you're not confident or something... Just admit to it. We can all the showdown off, and you surrender the Malabu Mirror to me."

"No. I'm in. I will be victorious, and I will obtain the Malabu Mirror!"

"I'm glad you're in." Crystal smirked. "Ready?" "Yes." Omi ndded.

"Xiaolin Showdown!"

**Me: There you go! Chapter 17! Sorry it took so long! At least I'm here now. Starting back up on Xiaolin Showdown, so Imma be updating this story a bit, then updating Inuyasha, and make my way back to Fruits Basket. I've seriously been neglecting my stories**

**Raimundo: Yes. Yes you have.**

**Me: Shut it**

**Raimundo: (shrugs) I was only agreeing.**

**Me: Well, without futher hesitation... Read and review please!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Me: Hello dear reviewers!**

**Raimundo: Whoa, you weren't kidding. You're really updating.**

**Me: Yup. I apologize once more to all of you who liked this story. I'm working on it lol. School came back in, and it's keeping me REALLY busy, so sorry for the delays!**

**Raimundo: I GUESS its better that you're late than never updating again...**

**Me: Nah, I have too much of a good idea with this story. No way I can pass it up ;). Besides, it gives me a break from Fruits Basket lol.**

**Raimundo: You realize you'll need to update your OTHER stories as well?**

**Me: Yeah, I need to revise Regeneration, and update Inuyasha j-.- Oh well. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.**

**Raimundo: Gonna start the chapter?**

**Me: Of course. Do me the honors, RAI-RAI.**

**Raimundo: (ignores) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters, Wu, and this story.  
**

Chapter 18: Aquatic Showdown: Omi vs. Crystal

The surrounding changed. Omi and Crystal where in the middle of the ocean, ready to showdown. "This is going to be a piece of cake for Omi. With the Gills of Hamachi, and Water being his element, there's no way he can lose." Kimiko grinned to herself.

"We've got this one in the bag."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Kimiko, Clay, and Raimundo turned around to see Chase Young and Wuya walking towards them. "Chase. Wuya." Clay spat with hatred, glaring at the Haylin Warriors.

"Come to watch your apprentice get her butt handed to her?" Kimiko taunted. "I wouldn't be so sure of that." Chase slightly smirked. "Omi has no idea what it is he's up against. None of you do." Chase crossed his arms.

"Ha. You've seen Omi fight before. And, he can even use his Wudai. There's no way Crystal would have a chance." Kimiko sneered. "Just sit and watch. When this showdown is over, you will understand... Why Omi never had a chance to start with." Chase replied with confidence.

_"He knows something... Probably about the truest strength of Crystal's powers. I wonder... How strong is she? Really?" _Raimundo wondered.

"Wudai Star Water!" Omi shouted, transforming into his Wudai Warrior form. "Ah. So you're going to use your Wudai? Fine with me. You'll need the extra help." Crystal replied.

"About ready yet? I wanna give you... A little taste of my powers."

"I am ready."

"Alright then."

"GONG YI TAN PAI!"

Crystal dove underwater, swimming away. "Gills of Hamachi!" Omi put on the Wu, transforming into a fish creature and swimming after Crystal.

_"She'll run out of breath eventually. She'll have to go back up. This match is as good as mine." _Omi thought. _"Now if I was a mirror, where would I be?..." _

The two warriors swam as fast as they could, searching for the Shen Gong Wu. They swam deeper and deeper into the water, it slowly getting darker and darker.

"Haylin Warrior, why are you swimming so deep, knowing that you'll need to go back up for air?" Omi called to Crystal. The young Haylin Apprentice ignored him, continuing to swim.

_"Just follow me a little more, Omi. A little deeper... And you'll fall right into my trap." _Crystal thought.

They swum similar to aquatic animals - Omi being the shark, looking for and hunting its prey, the Malabu Mirror - and Crystal being the dolphin - smart, fast, and playful.

Before long, the two had reached the very bottom of the ocean. They landed, their feet (fins) touching the ocean ground. "Haylin Warrior, you will suffocate, no matter how long you are able to hold your breath. Surrender now, and keep your life. This match is not worth dying over." Omi warned.

"Talk what you know!" A voice spat with hatred for the Xiaolin Warrior in his mind. "What? What was that?" Omi looked around himself. "It's called thought-speaking. I can breath perfectly fine down here." Crystal explained.

"How?"

"Because, young Xiaolin Warrior... You've fallen right into my trap."

"Trap?"

"Supreme Aquatic Dragon of Water!"

The water began swirling fast around Crystal, creating something similar to a whirlpool. A LARGE whirlpool. The water roared loudly, deafening Omi.

The swirling, roaring waters began to form Omi's worst nightmare.

A humongous, large water dragon

The Aquatic Dragon of the Waters

And its fierces eyes were looking straight at Omi, piercing him.

"Okay, my sweet little dragon, don't hurt him too badly. I just want you to distract him while I retrieve the Malabu Mirror, okay?" Crystal thoguht-spoke to the dragon, even though Omi could still hear, rubbing its snout.

**"Yes, my princess. I understand. I will follow your command, and your command alone."** The dragon nodded.

"Good boy. I'm glad you're so willing to obey me still."

**"Viva la princia."** (this means 'You are my one and only princess'.)

"Thanks. Now, go, my water serpent!"

**"Xiaolin Warrior. You are a threat to my princess. Therefore, I must take you down in this showdown. Prepare yourself."** The Dragon faced Omi.

"This has to be a violation of the rules! You're not allowed to bring in outside help!" Omi protested.

"Artemis here is not 'outside help'. He is the Spirit of the element of Water - A form my truest power of water can take on. It's like seperate a part of myself from me. Only when Artemis is out... I am vulnerable. I don't have the ability to fight, only to defend. I set my offense out on the field. This might be useful information to you." Crystal explained.

**"And even if my princess can do nothing but defend when she summons me, she needn't worry. I will be both her weapon and armor."** Artemis blocked Omi's way.

"...Well, I have no problem with this. Let the games begin, as Raimundo would put it!" Omi got into a fighting stance.

_**"Raimundo? Does he speak ofmy lord, Prince Raimundo? Princess Crystal's closest companion? Why would the two of them be fighting on opposing sides?..."**_ Artemis wondered.

"Raimundo... Don't... Don't speak that name in my prescence! Artemis, go!" Crystal ordered. **"Water Beam!" **the Supreme Dragon shouted, opening its massive jaw and allowing a large beam of lethal water to shot from its mouth.

Omi dodged, carefully eluding the beam, and landing gracefully. _"I've got to hurry up and find the Malabu Mirror. I want to end this showdown as soon as possible." _Crystal thought, swimming off.

"Crystal! Come back!" Omi tried swimming after her, but the Water Dragon swung it huge tail at him, sending him flying across the underwater battlefield.

**"Do you not understand? Xiaolin Warrior, you will not get past me. I will protect my princess at all cost, and she will be victorious."** Artemis boomed.

"O Great Mighty Water Dragon, do you not see that your 'princess' is evil? She's fighting on the Haylin side. I must not allow you to stop me from winning this showdown!" Omi replied.

**"I am fully aware of the fact that Princess Crystal is fighting for Haylin. But you must understand... She does not know that Haylin is the evil, and that Xiaolin is the good. As a matter of fact... She's been deceived into thinking the exact opposite - that Haylin is good and Xiaolin is evil. She believes she's fighting with Lord Chase and Lady Wuya for the better good."** Artemis responded.

"What? Who told her such a filthy lie?!"

**"It was Chase Young himself. He erased her memories, and replaced them by whatever meant necessary to keep her on the Haylin side."**

"But why?"

**"Princess Crystal's father was a great Haylin Warrior, while her mother was a powerful Elemental Guardian of a different dimension. Her mother came here to Earth, and that is where she met Princess Crystal's father, the Mightest Haylin Warrior to ever live."**

**"Believe it or not, her mother became a Xiaolin Warrior. She was a student of your sensei's - Master Fung. The Dragon of Elements, the Elemental Warrior, her fellow monks called her. But she was banished because of her ties with Haylin and her immense, dangerous power."**

"So then it is Crystal's destiny to become one of us!"

**"Just as much as it is her destiny to become a Haylin Warrior. Both her mother and father were powerful warriors. Their blood runs through her veins. She would make the perfect Haylin Warrior, and vice versa, a powerful Elemental Guardian or Elemental Xiaolin Warrior."**

"So she will either become great good or great evil, seeing both powers run through her veins..."

**"Correct. From the way things look now, though... She might become a Dark Guardian - The perfect Elemental Haylin Warrior."**

"But that's only because she believes Haylin's good!"

**"Nothing anyone says will convince her now. She has pure hatred for you Xiaolin Monks. She will not listen to a single word of it."**

"...What about Raimundo? Could he convince her?"

**"I don't know... But enough talking! It's time to showdown!"**

"Fine with me. Shimo Staff! Kaijin Charm" Omi yelled, his Wudai weapon and elemental sheng gong wu appearing.

"Prepare yourself for battle, Artemis!"

--

"What's going on down there?" Kimiko wondered aloud. "I don't know. I can't tell at all what's happening. Who's winning, who's losing..." Raimundo trailed off.

"Ah, it seems as though Crystal has summoned forth Artemis, the Supreme Aquatic Dragon of Waters." Chase smirked to himself. "Who?" Clay crossed his arms.

"The truest form of the Element of Water." Wuya said bluntly. "It takes on the form of a humongous dragon." "And since it is just a form of one of her power, it does not violate any of the rules. She has no o utside help - she's using her abilities." Chase added, seeing the Xiaolin Dragons were about to blurt something about that not being fair and against the rules.

"...Well, Omi still has the Gills of Hamachi, the Shimo Staff, and the Kaijin Charm. He'll still win. I'm sure of it." Kimiko said with confidence in her teammate.

"You keep on thinking that. But don't be surprised when Omi loses to Crystal." Chase replied. "No! Omi will win!" Raimundo said with determination, almost as though he was going to be the one to assure it.

Chase looked Raimundo hard in his eyes. "You know better than anyone what that girl is capable of doing. Such power - Nothing can oppose to it. Nothing. Especially not you Xiaolin Warriors. And you are very aware that when it reaches its max... Nothing anyone does will be able to stop her. Why bother lying to yourself? You know she will win."

"...No! Even if she's my best friend... She's on the Haylin side! We can't let her win! Omi won't let her win! Good will triumph evil, you'll see!" Raimundo replied.

"If that's how you feel, fine. Continue thinking that way. It won't bother me in the least. Don't feel too bad when this showdown is over." Chase turned away from the Xiaolin Monks, ending this conversation.

_"Dammit... We can't let her win... We have to stop her! Omi, you can't lose to her!" _Raimundo thought.

_"Do whatever means necessary to win this showdown... Even if it means injuring her. I'd rather you hurt her... Than for her to be hurt and deceived far worse in the very end after all she's done to help Haylin by Chase."_

--

_"Damn... Where is that stupid mirror? I don't see it anywhere..."_ Crystal cursed under her breath, swimming through the ocean. _"My arms are beginning to hurt... I'm tired from swimming so much... I wonder if Omi and Artemis are still battling... Grrr, where is the Malabu Mirror?! Where?!"_

The water began swirling, almost as though they were trying to suck Crystal in. She tried to swim upward, but the water carried her off. She couldn't get away from the water, couldn't swim.

She was caught by the suddenly strong water current.

_"Oh no! I've been caught in an undertow! But the Malabu Mirror... Where... Where?!"_ Crystal frantically tried to get away, only getting herself stuck further into the undertow.

And then, she saw it

Something glimmering close to the bottom of the undertow.

A mirror

_"That's it! The Malabu Mirror! I see it! So close, yet... So far!"_ Crystal swam downward against the current. The water was hitting her so fast and so hard, it felt almost as though it was cutting into her flesh.

But that didn't matter

She just HAD to get that Mirror

For her Master

She came closer and closer to the mirror. _"I have to retrieve it... For Chase-sama! Ugh... I feel so... Dizzy... So weak... So tried... The undertow... Is so strong... I can't... Can't..."_

One of Crystal's fingers touched the mirror. But before she could grab it, the overwhelming power of the undertow sent her flying further into the ocean, forcing her further and further away.

The water forced its way into her mouth and nose, filling her lungs. The rushing water blurred her vision. She no longer knew where she was going.

She couldn't see

She couldn't breathe

She couldn't move

_"Am I going to die like this? In this undertow? Betrayed by one of my very elements?"_ Crystal wondered weakly. _"I guess that's okay... But Chase-sama... Chase-sama!! I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to disappoint you. I'm sorry I'm so weak. I guess this... Is goodbye." _

She weakly let her eyes closed, unable to fight it

Death was soon to come for her

And she was sure no one was coming to her rescue this time

--

As though a shock has been sent through his body, Chase jerked forward. His heart skipped a beat. But he quickly remained composure. However, it wasn't fast enough to go unnoticed by Raimundo.

"What's wrong with you? You almost looked scared for a quick second." Raimundo looked at Chase. "Scared? Me? You have no idea who you're talking to, do you?" Chase snorted.

"I know not the meaning of the words scared or fear."

"Yeah, whatever, but what was with that moment of lost composure?" Raimundo asked. "...I felt something. It was... Crystal." Chase murmured.

"Didn't you feel it too?"

Raimundo hesitately shook his head. "No... What's wrong with her? What happened? Tell me now!" "...She's dying under there... Drowning..." Chase trailed off.

"She's drowning?!"

"She seems to have been caught in an undertow."

"How do you know this?"

"...I just do. I can feel it in my bones when she's in danger."

"...Weird much..."

"Listen, Raimundo, I need to ask a favor of you." Chase turned to met the Dragon of Wind's curious gaze. "What is it?" The Dragon of Wind slowly inquired.

"You have to save Crystal, okay? She's dying. I'm sure that reason is more than enough for convince you to help her. But I care not about her life. I just need her to win this showdown. I cannot afford her to lose because she was caught in some stupid undertow."

"Isn't that a violation of the rules? And how can you care so little about your own apprentices life?!" Raimundo demanded. "You act like I should care." Chase replied.

"Let's see..." Dojo began to flip through the Book of Rules. "...I can't find anything about it being against the rules to save one of the opponents from death. No one's almost died in a showdown before, so... As long as you don't help or stop her from winning the showdown, it'll be alright."

"But Rai! You can't! She might win the showdown if you help her! She might double cross you! And you can't breathe down there! You might drown! Or get stuck in the undertow as well!" Kimiko reasoned.

"I have to try Kimiko. She's my best friend. Best friends don't tuen their backs on each other, no matter what. She'd save me too, I'm certain of it." Raimundo responded.

"If it helps... I can cast a spell on you. You will be able to breathe underwater for only fifteen minutes. After that, if you're not out of the water... You'll die." Wuya offered, stepping forward.

"I'll even make it so that you can keep a mental timer in your head."

"Why are you offering to help?" Raimundo raised a curious brow.

"Being superior to you, I have no reason to answer that question. But, seeing I'm in a good mood, I think I will tell you. Unlike Chase, sad to say, I actually care about Crystal. I've grown pretty close to her. And she's FAR more useful than that Jack Spicer ever was." Wuya explained.

"Not only do I care that she lives... We can't afford to lose our best apprentice."

"Think about this, Rai. This may be the only chance to stop her. If they no longer have Crystal, their power is cut in half. They won't be as much of a threat. And Kimiko's right - She might double cross you, or worse. She's a Haylin - You have to be careful." Clay warned.

"Yes, I know perfectly well what she is. But... That doesn't change anything. She's still my Crystal. My... Best friend. So... I can't let her die. I couldn't live with myself thinking everyday after her death 'I could've saved her' or 'It's my fault she's gone'. Not saving her is absolutely not an option." Raimundo turned to Wuya.

"I'll take your offer."

"Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam. Et lingua eius laqueter indicium. Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem. Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae. Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison! O quam sancta, quam serena, quam benigna, quam amoena. O castitas lilium!" Wuya chanted.

"Whoa, what is she saying?" Clay blinked.

"It's Latin. It literally means 'The mouth of the just shall mediate wisdom. And his language shall become clear. Blessed is he who suffers temptation. Since he, with striving, shall receive the crown of life. Lord, fire divine, have mercy! Oh how scared, how serene, how kind, how lovely. Oh, lilly of chastity!'. It's obviously the chant she choice to use. I'm not sure how it makes sense, but it's obviously has something to do with Raimundo's will to save Crystal, despite her being your enemy." Chase informed.

"I didn't know Wuya knew Latin." Kimiko whistled. "Well, magical chants were originally in Latin, so for some of them, she was required to learn Latin to properly cast them." Chase replied.

"Raimundo, get into the water and go. You should have some resistance against the undertow, and have the ability to breath and thought-speak. Get her, before she dies!" Wuya commanded.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Raimundo started to walk, but Kimiko caught his arm. "Rai... Promise me you'll be careful. You'd better come back to us... Okay?" She whispered, worried.

Raimundo smiled gently at her. "I'll be back, Kim. Don't think for a second you guys can get rid of me that easily! Stay here with Clay and watch for Omi." Raimundo continued walking towards the tide.

He took a deep breath and plunged into the water, diving head first. _"Oh Rai... I really hope you'll be okay..." _Kimiko thought, watching Raimundo swim off.

--

BAM!

CRACK!

CLASH!

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" Omi was sent flying once again, hitting the ocean floor hard. **"How many times must I tell you, Xiaolin Warrior? You are going no where."** Artemis sighed.

**"This form is far too troublesome. I will give you a true battle. I'll show you all of Princess Crystal's skills and power for the element Water, and how it surpasses even your Wudai powers by far!"**

**"Transformation!"**

A bright light engulfed Artemis. Water began swirling around him, just like before when it had swirled around Crystal to summon Artemis forth.

Omi sheilded his eyes, trying to block out the roaring of the ocean water. The bright light began to expand, covering the whole area. It was alomst like an explosion - Massive power was released from the bright light.

Omi was sent flying across the aquatic battlefield once again. Soon, the water became calm again, and the bright light slowing faded. Omi stood up, refusing to stay down no matter how many times he was knocked around, and looked up.

Before him was a teenage boy, about 19 years of age. He short raven black hair and dark amethyst eyes. He was tall and slender, and very handsome. He wore a black outfit - a black long sleeve shirt with brown buckles going up his right arm, black pants, and black shoes.

**"This is my humanoid form. In this form, it will become much easier to fight you."** Artemis got in a fighting stance.

**"Elemental Staff of Water!"**

He held out his hands, and a long silver staff with a dark sapphire center.

**"Prepare yourself, Omi. This is where it ends!"** Artemis charged at Omi. "You're wrong! This battle is far from over, Artemis!" Omi held out his staff, which transformed into a mace, and charged at Artemis

The two clashed weapons, trying to overwhelm one another. **"Why don't you just give up? You don't stand a chance! Princess Crystal will be victorious, and she'll be thankful for my help!"** Artemis swung his staff at Omi.

Omi jumped back, dodging.

"She will not be victorious! I will! I will defeat you, and get to the Malabu Mirror before she can do so! Tsunami Strike!" Omi yelled. Artemis held forth his weapon, it splitting through the strong water attack.

"Mantis Kick!" Omi jumped up and kicked at teenager. Artemis grabbed Omi's foot in mid air and flung him away. **"Persistent brat! I'll - "** Artemis stopped.

He paused, his eyes widening. **"Princess... Hold on, I'm coming!"** Artemis turned and swam away. _"How could I not have noticed it before? Since I am one with the Princess, when she feels pain, I feel pain. If she dies, I die. So then why... Why is this a delayed reaction?! Why didn't I realize she was in danger sooner?!" _Artemis wondered.

_"Was I really that wrapped up in this battle?"_

"Artemis! Come back here! Where are you going?" Omi swam after Artemis. **"You have been spared today. My princess is in trouble. Death is near. I must attend to her side."** Artemis called back.

"Come back! Fight me! This battle isn't over! You can't die in a showdown!" Omi yelled. **"You're very, very wrong about that!"** Artemis snorted, speeding up.

**"So very wrong indeed."**

--

_"Come on, come on... Where is she?"_ Raimundo gritted his teeth, swimming as fast as he could, searching for Crystal. As soon as he dived into the water, he could feel Wuya's spell worked.

His vision had been enhanced, and was by far better. He was able to breathe underwater without turing into a fish. He could swim pretty well and fast. And, their was timer going off in his head.

10 minutes

He had ten minutes left to gind Crystal, bring her to the surface, and get out of the ocean water.

Or he would die

_"Time really isn't on my side in this... I've got to hurry! I don't want to die! But even more than that... I don't want Crystal to die."_ Raimundo stroked harder, trying his best to swim faster.

_"That was such a dirty trick. The Sheng Gong Wu being located in an undertow... I never knew you could actually die in these showdowns. Proves just how dangerous they can be. And this one... Has become very, veru dangerous."_

_"And did Chase say Crystal summoned Artemis? Artemis takes A LOT of power and strength to summon. Crystal probably was very weak and tired when she went off to find the Malabu Mirror, even before she was caught in the undertow."_

_"I wonder if Artemis would recognize me... He was very close to Crystal. She always trained with him, and he taught her a lot of things. Like how to swim, and different fighting stances and moves and everything. He even saved me from drowning once."_

_"I don't know why, but sometimes... I get the impression that he's in love with her. Maybe it's because he was always trying to please her, and make her smile. I was a little of jealous of him - He always knew exactly what to say to make Crystal smile even when she was crying her heart out, and he always made her laugh and feel safe."_

_"I hated it when she would go on and on about how cool artemis was, or when she would unconsciously call out for him and not me. But he's only a spirit of water - He's not human. Can he actually love? And even if he could... Why her?"_ Raimundo wondered.

_"But enough wondering about him. I have to find Crystal. I have to save her. Then Artemis'll HAVE to take back what he said... All those years ago! I'll prove to him I can protect her! I can!"_

Raimundo continued swimming harder, faster, harder, and faster still. He searched everywhere for her. He would not stop for anything. He swam without a single break, pushing himself to the limit.

His arms and legs began to tire and grew swore from being worked so hard. But he didn't slow do a single bit. He knew what his priorities were.

Saving Crystal and getting out of the water was first

Complaining about the pain and how he'd feel it in the morning was second

_"Artemis is probably looking for Crystal too... I wonder... Was it really necessary that I came down here to save her? I mean... She does have HIM. Why can't he just protect her?"_ Raimundo thought.

But a voice in his head screamed at him, "Do you WANT to prove him right? Are you giving up? Are you really not suited to protect her? And what if Artemis doesn't get there fast enough? She'll die, all because you acted on assumptions!"

With this boost of determination, Raimundo only searched harder.

Five minutes had passed, and not a single trace of Crystal had been found. But then suddenly, Raimundo could hear the faintest of noises far off in the distance.

Distracted from his goal, Raimundo swam towards the noise, it gradually growing louder and louder as he came closer. First, it seemed rather peaceful, but the closer he got, the more rough and violent it become.

_"What is that noise? That familar noise... Could it be... The noise of... Rushing, swirling waters?"_ Raimundo wondered, swimming a little faster towards the sound.

Soon, he came upon the source of the sound, its noise somewhat loud. The noise was indeed the sound of rushing swirling waters.

The sound of an undertow

The sound of an undertow swirling around its victim and dragging the victim further and further out into the ocean, to be specific.

And its victim was...

_"Crystal!"_ Raimundo gasped. The young maiden was trapped inside of the pool of rushing waters, floating within it unconsciously. Raimundo was about to advance forward and grab Crystal, but stopped when he saw a shining object.

_"That object at the bottom of the undertow... Is that... Is that... It's the Malabu Mirror!"_ Raimundo realized. _"To think... Crystal almost threw her life away... Just to get that stupid mirror back to Chase. Does she care about him that much?"_

"Raimundo!"

**"Princess Crystal!"**

Raimundo's head jerked up at the sudden voices, looking to see where they were emanating from. Swimming towards him at full speed was Artemis, with Omi trailing behind him.

"Raimundo! It is very good to see you, my dear friend! But how in the world are you able to breathe under here?" Omi asked.

_"Long story short: Wuya put a spell on me in order to aid me in saving Crystal, and it's going to wear off in three minutes, and I'll die if I don't get out of the water by then."_ Raimundo explained simply.

"Save Crystal?! But she is the enemy! This may be our only chance to get rid of her! She's too strong! Her powers in the hands of evil is a really bad thing! She might double cross you if you save her, anyway!" Omi exclaimed.

"I know, I know. Clay and Kimiko already lectured me about that earlier. But you guys have to understand... Crystal's my best friend, and I have to protect her. I will save her. I can't allow her to die in a place like this!" Raimundo insisted.

"...I see... I fully understand, Raimundo. You are indeed a true warrior - insisting upon helping a fellow warrior in need, whether they be a comrade or an enemy. I respect and admire that." Omi nodded.

**"You? Protect the princess? What did I TELL you all of those year ago? You are not capable of protecting her. All you do is put her in situations that hurt her and put her life in danger. All you do... Is endanger her life! You have not the right to say 'I will save her'. Why must you stand in my way? You are such a burden, to both the princess and to me. I don't understand... Why she insisted upon being around you so much..."** Artemis snorted.

**"You can hardly protecting the ones around you, the ones you life with and face everyday. So if you can just BARELY protect your own comrades... What makes you think you can protect the Elemental Princess? What gives you the audacity to be confident you can help her when all you've done if caused her pain physically so far?"**

_"I see you haven't changed a bit."_ Raimundo glared.

**"Nor have you, young Raimundo. Your naivity will end up getting the princess killed. Go play hero somewhere else. I can handle her."** Artemis replied.

**"That's why I exist. I am her Protection. I am her Guardian. I am capable of protecting her, even if it means the end of my existences. You however... Are only capable of hurting her."**

"_I REALLY don't need you lecturing me right now. I mean, REALLY. I CAN save her - Just you watch!"_ Raimundo swam towards Crystal.

"**If you insist, give it a shot. Remember, you have two minutes."** Artemis watched the Xiaolin Warrior. Raimundo stuck his hand into the undertow, reaching for Crystal.

He waved his hand in the water until he felt something ice cold. He gasped, and drew back. _"Why is Crystal so very cold? Is she...? No, she can't be! I have to get her out of here, and fast!"_ Raimundo thought.

"Raimundo! Don't forget the Malabu Mirror! You need to get the Malabu Mirror!" Omi shouted. _"I will, I will! But I'll also get Crystal!"_ Raimundo responded.

Having no choice and having to risk being stuck in the undertow as well, Raimundo swam into the undertow. The waters swirled violently around him and the unconscious girl, it roaring in his ears.

He searched through the undertow for Crystal, who continued to drift away. The water was powerful indeed, gradually forcing its way up his noise, down his throat, into his lungs. His nose and throat burned from the intense waters, but that didn't stop him for a single moment.

He continued.

Despite him having only a minute and thirty seconds left

He felt himself become weakened by the powerful water, it slowly killing him. But he couldn't stop - Not now! Not when he was so close, he could taste the victory

He would save his best friend

And rub it in Artemis' face

His hand brushed against something. Raimundo pulled the objected towards him, it turning out to be Crystal's hand. He pulled and pulled, doing his best to fight the power of the undertow.

The shining light caught his attention once more. Raimundo pulled Crystal towards him with one arm, using all the strength in his body, and wrapping an arm around her, holding her as close to his body as possible.

His strength was fading away rapidly by the second. The undertow's power was too much, too overwhelming.

One minute left

Raimundo's vision began to blur and he felt dizzy as he reached for the Malabu Mirror.

Closer...

Closer...

Closer...

Almost there...

Almost...

Miss!

Raimundo's hand missed the mirror by an inch, him slowly falling into a state of unconsciousness with Crystal in his arms.

Thirty seconds left

"_No... I can't... I have to get up... Grab the mirror... And swim away... But I just can't. Am I really going to die like this? Am I really going to drag Crystal down with me?"_ Raimundo thought, his eyes slowly closing.

"_I... Can't stay awake any longer. I guess... This is the end for me... Even though Artemis was right... Even though all I do is hurt you, Crystal... You're still... My best friend."_

"_Oh god... Please... Protect my friends - Omi, Clay, Kimiko, Dojo, and Master Fung. And... Please... Somebody... Anybody... Protect... My Crystal."_

**Me: Sorry for it taking so long to update. My computer's being evil again, and school's been taking a lot of my time.**

**Raimundo: I see... Am I really going to die?**

**Me: Meeeeeeebbe (hides from Raimundo fans)**

**Raimundo: (jaw drops, wide mouthed)**

**Me: (innocent)**

**Raimundo: ARE YOU SERIOUS?!**

**Me: You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out ;) (vanishes)**

**Raimundo: EGP!!**

**Me: (still vanished, voice booming out of nowhere) Read and review please!**


End file.
